Germany train strikes: How services in major cities will be impacted during the week-long walkout

From Berlin to Munich, here’s how Germany’s rail strike will affect passengers this week.

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Train drivers in Germany began an almost week-long strike in the early hours of this morning.

It is the latest in a series of clashes over working hours, conditions and pay. Union GDL said it rejected a payment offer made on Friday by German rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB).

“With the third and supposedly improved offer, Deutsche Bahn has shown once again that it is not encouraged to continue its previous course of rejection and confrontation – there is no sign of any desire to reach an agreement,” the union said in a press release on Monday. .

Earlier this month, rail travel was brought to a “near standstill” in Germany when members of the GDL union went on strike.

The passenger train strike began at 2am on January 24 and will last until 6pm on Monday, January 29.

Why are Germany’s rail workers on strike?

The GDL union voted overwhelmingly to authorize a “full” strike at the state DB.

The group stages a 24 hour “warning strike” on December 8, a common tactic in German wage negotiations, but the disagreement continues to grow.

After a three-day strike earlier this month, the current strike will be the longest in a row.

The central issue is the union’s demand that the hours of shift workers be reduced from 38 to 35 hours per week without a reduction in wages, a demand to which the employers have so far refused.

GDL is seeking an increase of €555 a month for employees plus a one-off payment of up to €3,000 to counter inflation. DB said earlier this month that it had made an offer amounting to an 11 percent increase.

He also said that shift workers can move from a 38-hour week to a 37-hour week by 2026, or receive extra pay if they want to stay on their current hours.

How will the German train strike affect passengers?

Deutsche Bahn says the longer trains will be used for available journeys to accommodate as many people as possible. However, he said that the services were not guaranteed and asked the passengers avoid non-essential travel during the strike.

The strike will be nationwide and the impacts are expected to be felt across the country.

“The renewed strike will again have a massive impact on all German rail operations,” DB says in a statement about the upcoming strike.

The rail operator says it will run an emergency timetable with a “very reduced” range of journeys for long-distance, regional and S-Bahn services. It is recommended that passengers check their journey 24 hours in advance and make seat reservations on long-distance services.

If you have one train The ticket reserved during this time, you can use to travel on January 23 – before the strike – or on a later date. If your train is cancelled, you are entitled to a full refund. Read about your rights as a passenger.

How the biggest cities in Germany will be affected during the train strikes

Berlin: Massive disruption

The passengers in Berlin and nearby Brandenburg need to prepare for “massive disruptions of the DB S-Bahn, regional and long-distance traffic” the Berlin S-Bahn announced on X.

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Year emergency time table is running on selected lines, and a bus replacement service will also be active during the strike on some routes.

The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), which runs the city’s U-Bahn, tram, bus and ferry networks, is not affected by the strike. However, passengers should be prepared for more packed trains and longer waiting times.

The disruption could continue even after the strike ends on Monday evening, the S-Bahn warns. Service updates can be found on their app and website.

Munich: How to get to the airport during the strike

The Munich S-Bahn will be disrupted by the strike, but all lines will run at least hourly according to the S-Bahn München website.

The S1 line will not go Munich Airport but the S 8 line will run every 20 minutes between Pasing and the airport.

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MVG metro trains, regional trains operated by Go-Ahead, BRB and alex, and buses will not be affected by the strike.

Cologne faces less disruption than other cities

Although Cologne’s privately operated National Express trains are not directly affected by the strike, there may be delays and cancellations for the railway operator starting from Wednesday.

During the previous strike, the operator said that DB Netz employees could join the strike call and therefore there may be isolated cases where the signal boxes are not equipped.

Frankfurt S-Bahn runs an emergency timetable

Many regional trains and S-Bahn are set to be canceled in the Rhine-Main region but an attempt emergency time table is in place.

Buses, trams and underground trains, however, should not be affected. Some city transport lines in Frankfurt will be re-equipped with additional buses or larger buses.

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Hamburg expects massive train restrictions

tea Hamburg S-Bahn expects massive restrictions, as was the case with previous GDL strikes in early January, early December and mid-November.

An emergency service runs on individual lines S1, S2, S3 and S5 so that, in the best case scenario, an S-Bahn train will run every 20 minutes.

What was the impact of Germany’s previous rail attacks?

During the last strike in early January, only about 20 percent of Deutsche Bahn long distance trains run, including many regional and commuter trains in cities such as Berlin.

During the “notice strikes” earlier in December, long-distance, regional and S-Bahn services were subject to delays and cancellations. Other railway companies such as the Transdev Group (including Bayerische Oberlandbahn and NordWestBahn) were also affected.

As the largest employer of train drivers in Germany, DB operates not only long-distance passenger trains such as ICE, IC, EC and Nightjet trains, but also regional trains and S-Bahn lines.

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Where you can find information about train schedules

Customers can find up-to-date information about their train route via the DB Navigator or Deutsche Bahn app website. It’s worth checking these before you leave home, as additional trains may be canceled at the last minute during the strike.

You can call DB’s special information line on +49 (0)8000-996-633.

Refunds: What are the rights of train passengers in Germany?

If your trip is affected, you have several options, depending on a The website of Deutsche Bahn: :

  • You can postpone your journey and use your ticket on a later date of your choice – your ticket is valid for travel to the original destination, even with a changed route alignment.
  • Seat reservations can be canceled free of charge.
  • If your train has been cancelledyou can get a full refund without deductions.

Will there be more train strikes in Germany in 2024?

Unfortunately for travelers, it’s likely there will be more hit this year as negotiations continue.

“What’s coming now will be more powerful, longer and harder on customers” than the clashes so far, GDL’s chairman said earlier this month – a threat that is now being put into action.

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