Trains and services that operate and do not operate in Berlin, Munich, Cologne and other large German cities.
German rail travel has been hit by strikes in 2023, and industrial action shows no signs of slowing down as the new year begins.
Members of the union representing Germany’s train drivers have overwhelmingly decided to go on an indefinite strike in 2024 in a bitter dispute with major national railway operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) over working hours and wages. The majority voted in favor.
The first strike will begin tomorrow (January 10) and last for three days. DB said there would be “wide-scale disruption of long-distance, regional and S-Bahn services across the country”.
This is probably just the beginning of this year’s strikes.
“What is about to happen will be stronger, longer and more difficult than any previous strike for our customers,” the union’s president said.
Why are German railway workers on strike?
The GDL union voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a “full-scale” strike at the state-run DB.
The group performed 24 hours a day. “Warning attack” This is a common tactic in German wage negotiations, but disagreements continue to escalate.
GDL Chairman Klaus Wesselski declared last month that negotiations with DB had failed after just two rounds.
The central issue is the union’s demand that shift workers’ working hours be reduced from 38 to 35 hours per week without any reduction in wages, a demand that employers have so far failed to meet.
GDL is seeking a 555-euro monthly pay rise for its employees and a lump-sum payment of up to 3,000 euros to combat inflation. D.B. announced that it has made an offer equivalent to an 11% price increase.
How will the German rail strike affect passengers?
3 days strike The announcement was made from January 10 after DB did not make a “negotiable” offer regarding salary.
Train drivers will be out from 2am on Wednesday to 5pm on Friday, while freight workers will finish work at 6pm on Tuesday.
DB said the outage would cause “serious disruption to service” and trains would be operated on an emergency schedule.
The company announced that it would use longer trains for available journeys to accommodate as many passengers as possible.
“Still, we cannot guarantee a ride,” DB announced on Sunday. DB also asked passengers to avoid non-essential travel during the strike.
DB, Germany’s largest employer of train drivers, manages long-distance passenger trains such as ICE, IC, EC and NightJet, as well as regional trains and S-Bahn routes.
The strike is nationwide, and the impact is expected to be felt throughout the country. While road disruptions continue in some places, farmers’ protestTravel throughout Germany may be particularly hampered during this period.
How are Germany’s big cities affected during the railway strike?
Berlin: Massive turmoil
passenger Berlin The neighboring state of Brandenburg has to prepare for “major disruptions to DB’s S-Bahn, regional and long-distance services,” Berlin S-Bahn announced on X TV.
“Please use alternative means of transportation.” There may also be restrictions in place before and after a strike. The Berlin S-Bahn has set up emergency timetables for some routes, which will be published on its website.
The Berlin Citizens’ Union (BVG) is not affected by the warning blow. This means buses, U-Bahns, trams and ferries will continue to operate on all routes from Wednesday to Friday. Still, passengers should be prepared for trains to become more crowded and wait times to be longer.
Munich: how to get to the airport during a strike
Munich’s S-Bahn trains will be suspended from 11pm tonight (January 9), with the S-Bahn Munich website stating: “The suspension will last until Friday and Saturday night.”
S-Bahn said it wants to run trains at least every hour. However, it is possible to reach munich airport With S1.
Cologne
Even though Cologne’s private National Express trains are not directly affected by the strike, they may experience delays and delays. cancel For railway operators starting Wednesday. The reason for this is that DB Netz employees may take part in the strike call, and there may be individual instances when the signal box is unoccupied, National Express said.
Frankfurt
Many trains and S-Bahn services will be suspended in the Rhine-Main region.
However, buses, trams and subways are not affected. Some urban transport routes in Frankfurt will be re-equipped with additional buses or motorcoaches.
hamburg
of hamburg Major restrictions are expected on the S-Bahn, as was the case with previous GDL strikes in early December and mid-November.
From Wednesday, emergency services will be installed on the S1, S2, S3 and S5 lines, with S-Bahn trains running every 20 minutes in a best-case scenario.
The railway is expected to release more information about the emergency schedule on Tuesday. However, this emergency schedule only guarantees very limited train operations. For this reason, Deutsche Bahn is asking all passengers to refrain from unnecessary travel on the day of the strike and to postpone their trip to a later date.
Where to find train timetables
Customers can usually find up-to-date information about railway lines through railway apps or Deutsche Bahn. Website. Additional trains may be canceled at the last minute during a strike, so it’s worth double-checking these before leaving home.
You can call DB’s travel information hotline at +49 (0)30-2970.
How was travel affected during previous strikes?
During the “warning attack” in early December, long distanceregional and S-Bahn services were subject to delays and cancellations.
other railway Companies such as Transdev Group (including Bavarian Oberlandbahn and Nordwestbahn) were also affected.
Refunds: What are the rights of rail passengers in Germany?
According to DB, there are a variety of options if your travel is affected.
- You can postpone your trip and use your ticket at a later date of your choice. If the route changes, the ticket is still valid for travel to the original destination.
- Seat reservations can be canceled free of charge.
- your train cancelyou can get a full refund without any deductions.