The train drivers want to strike for six days, and large parts of Deutsche Bahn’s passenger traffic have been at a standstill since Wednesday morning. The members of the GDL union do not want to return to work until Monday evening at 6 p.m. Long-distance transport is particularly affected by the industrial dispute; according to Deutsche Bahn, around 80 percent of all ICE journeys are canceled. However, regional trains and S-Bahn trains are affected in some parts of the country – an overview.
The effects of the strike on regional transport have so far been strongest in northern Germany. The Hamburg S-Bahn announced that there would be massive restrictions on operations. Some connections should still be offered as part of the emergency timetable. The S1 between Wedel and Blankenese, as well as Ohlsdorf and the airport, should run every 20 minutes. The S2 between Altona and Aumühle should also start at the same time. According to current planning, the S5 will run between Neugraben and Stade once an hour.
The train drivers’ strike is also affecting operations at Hamburg Airport. “It will be more difficult for people to get to the airport,” explained the airport’s managing director, Christian Kunsch. During the last strike by the train drivers’ union GdL two weeks ago, the S-Bahn was supposed to run every 20 minutes, but trains were still canceled. Many passengers arrive at the airport two or three hours earlier than necessary for fear of missing their flight. The terminals are therefore more crowded than usual. Long queues form in front of check-in, even though the counters are not yet open. “Our normal process is being disrupted,” Kunsch said. On its website, the airport advises using subways and buses to get there.
The transport companies Metronom and Erixx announced that their operations in Schleswig-Holstein were not affected by the strike. Although scheduled operations are possible, the companies ask their passengers to be patient. Due to the strike at other transport companies, an increased number of passengers is possible. Passengers are advised to plan more time than usual for their journeys.
The railway had announced that regional traffic in Lower Saxony and Bremen would be “massively affected” by the GDL strike. Efforts are being made to find replacement bus services, it was said on Monday. Many regional train operators with offers in the northwest announced that their employees had not been called on strike.
However, the companies Metronom, Westfalenbahn, Erixx, Enno, and Nordwestbahn pointed out that there could still be restrictions. Deutsche Bahn infrastructure providers and operators have also been called on strike, which could lead to cancellations and delays. Transdev Hannover, operator of the S-Bahn network around the state capital, did not expect any restrictions before the strike began.
The train drivers’ strike is also having an impact on regional transport in the west of the country. As can be seen from the information portal zuginfo.nrw, a total of 41 regional trains (RE and RB) and S-Bahn lines were affected by the consequences of the strike on Wednesday, even if it was not against smaller railway competitors such as Nationalexpress, Eurobahn or RheinRuhrBahn directed.
The companies not directly affected by the strike pointed out that individual trains could be canceled if, for example, signal boxes were on strike. A spokesman for Deutsche Bahn said that there may be isolated work stoppages in signal boxes. However, there have been no major impacts in this regard so far.
According to Deutsche Bahn, the strike on Wednesday slowed down many commuters in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. However: The customers had adjusted to the situation, a spokesman said in the morning. “It’s been quiet so far, the emergency schedule is running smoothly.” The company had previously warned passengers that the work stoppages would lead to massive restrictions on long-distance, regional and S-Bahn transport. Trams, buses and subways in local public transport, however, run as usual.
According to the company, the emergency timetable drawn up by the railway only provides for a very limited range of trains in long-distance, regional and S-Bahn traffic. There are expected to be cancellations on many S-Bahn and regional train lines, while on others the trains only run every two hours. Severe restrictions are also to be expected on long-distance trains. Trains from other railway companies such as Vlexx or Trans Regio are not directly affected by the strike. The Saarbahn did not assume this either. However, if dispatchers in signal boxes go on strike, these companies could also experience outages.
According to Bahn, the situation in Hesse was similar in the morning. There, too, rail operations follow an emergency timetable with very limited services. Most S-Bahn trains in the Rhine-Main area should only run every hour. Lines S4 and S9 will be discontinued. The replacement traffic of the S6 and S7 is not affected. Regional train lines also experience failures or reduced frequency. Trains from other railway companies such as Vias, Vlexx or the Hessische Landesbahn are not directly affected by the strike. But the same applies there: If dispatchers in signal boxes stop working, these companies could also suffer disruptions.
The GDL’s fourth industrial dispute in the ongoing collective bargaining dispute with the federally owned company is “the longest in the history of Deutsche Bahn,” said the spokeswoman. It should last 136 hours for passenger traffic and 144 hours for freight traffic. For the first time in the current conflict, the strike also covers a complete weekend.
The GDL has called for several strike rallies over the next few days, to which the union executive board is also expected. Demonstrations will take place on Thursday in Stuttgart, where GDL boss Claus Weselsky is expected, as well as in Nuremberg, Hamburg, Erfurt and Halle/Saale. Actions are planned for Friday in Berlin and Dortmund, among others.
