Rail transport
Train drivers’ strike in Germany is ongoing – SBB recommends postponing trips
Due to a train driver’s strike, Deutsche Bahn has been experiencing severe disruption to passenger traffic since early this morning. The DB announced that the emergency timetable had started as planned. Losing connections on Swiss sections will be replaced.
The Frankfurt train station shortly before the start of the multi-day strike by the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL).
Image: Helmut Fricke/dpa
The German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) has also been on strike in passenger transport since Wednesday morning at 2 a.m. The strike in freight transport started on Tuesday evening. Since then, a severely restricted emergency timetable has been running. Until recently, Deutsche Bahn and Transdev, a company that operates regional trains, among other things, tried to legally prevent the strike. The Hesse State Labor Court finally rejected the application for an interim injunction in the second instance on Tuesday evening.
The strike in Germany will also lead to many cancellations in cross-border passenger transport (including night trains). As the SBB announced on Tuesday evening, failed connections on Swiss sections of the route are to be replaced. It is also recommended to postpone trips to or through Germany until a later date. Thanks to a special gesture of goodwill from Deutsche Bahn, it is possible to use purchased tickets sooner or later.
In the tariff dispute, the GDL has already called for warning strikes twice, which lasted a maximum of 24 hours in passenger transport. In the collective bargaining dispute, the GDL is demanding higher wages. It is also about reducing the weekly working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours. However, the railway considers this requirement to be unfulfillable.
The current strike is scheduled to last until Friday at 6 p.m. (came)