Nationwide Germany train strike: Only 20% of DB trains are running

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A walkout by train drivers in Germany has brought rail travel to a ‘near standstill’ with towns and cities across the country affected.

State-owned Deutsche Bahn, which is in a pay dispute with union GDL, said only around 20% of its long-distance trains are running. It said many regional and commuter trains in cities like Berlin were also not in operation.

“The strike by the train drivers’ union GDL has had a massive impact on train services in Germany,” said Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman Anja Broeker. “We regret the restrictions and hope that many people who were unable to reschedule their journey will get to their destination.”

The first walkouts started today and will last until Friday (12 January). DB says their “long-distance, regional and S-Bahn services will be massively disrupted nationwide.”

This is likely to just be the beginning of strikes this year.

“What is coming now will be more powerful, longer and harder for customers” than the walkouts so far, GDL’s chairman said.

Why are Germany’s rail workers striking?

The GDL union voted overwhelmingly to authorise ‘fully-fledged’ strikes at state-owned DB. 

The group staged a 24-hour ‘warning strike’ on 8 December, a common tactic in German wage negotiations, but the disagreement continues to escalate.

GDL’s chairman, Claus Weselsky, declared last month that negotiations with DB had failed after only two rounds of talks.

The central issue is the union’s call for shift workers’ hours to be reduced from 38 to 35 hours per week without a pay reduction, a demand at which employers so far have baulked.

GDL is seeking a raise of €555 per month for employees plus a one-time payment of up to €3,000 to counter inflation. DB has said it made an offer that amounts to an 11 per cent raise.

How will Germany’s rail strikes affect passengers?

Train drivers walked out from 2am last night until 5pm on Friday, while freight workers stopped work last evening at 6pm. 

DB says the stoppages will “seriously disrupt operations” and their trains will be running on an emergency timetable.

The company has announced that longer trains will be used for the available journeys to accommodate as many people as possible.

“Nevertheless, a ride cannot be guaranteed,” DB announced on Sunday. Additionally, DB has asked passengers to avoid non-essential travel during the strike.

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

The strike is nationwide and impacts are expected to be felt across the country. Coming amidst ongoing road obstructions in some places due to farmers’ protests, travel could be particularly hindered across Germany during this time.

How Germany’s biggest cities will be affected during train strikes

Berlin: Massive disruption

Passengers in Berlin and neighbouring Brandenburg need to brace themselves for “massive disruptions to DB’s S-Bahn, regional and long-distance services” the Berlin S-Bahn announced on X.

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“Please use alternative means of transport,” it said. There may also be restrictions before and after the strike. The Berlin S-Bahn has an emergency timetable in place on some routes, which it plans to publish on its website.

The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) are not affected by the warning strike. This means that buses, the U-Bahn, trams and ferries will continue to run on all lines from Wednesday to Friday. Passengers should nevertheless be prepared for more packed trains and longer waiting times.

Munich: How to get to the airport during the strike

Munich’s S-Bahn will be disrupted from 11pm tonight (9 January) S-Bahn München’s website says: “These will continue into the night on Friday/Saturday.”

The S-Bahn said that it wants to run trains at least every hour. However, it will only be possible to reach the Munich Airport with S1.

Cologne

Even if Cologne’s privately operated National Express trains are not directly affected by the strike, there may be delays and cancellations for the rail operator starting on Wednesday. The reason for this is that DB Netz employees could join the strike call and therefore there may be isolated cases where signal boxes are not manned, National Express has said.

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Frankfurt

Many trains and S-Bahn trains are set to be cancelled in the Rhine-Main region. 

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

Hamburg

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

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

The railway will provide further information on the emergency timetable in the course of Tuesday. However, this emergency timetable will only ensure a very limited train service. Deutsche Bahn is therefore asking all passengers to refrain from unnecessary journeys on the strike days and to postpone their journey to a later date.

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Where you can find information on train timetables

Customers can usually find up-to-date information about their train route via the Bahn app or the Deutsche Bahn website. It’s worth double checking these before leaving home, as additional trains may be cancelled last-minute during the strike.

You can call DB’s travel information hotline on +49 (0)30-2970.

How has travel been affected during previous strikes?

During the ‘warning 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.

Refunds: What are train passenger’s rights in Germany?

If your journey is affected, you have various options, according to DB:

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• You can postpone your journey and use your ticket at a later date of your choosing – your ticket is valid for the journey to the original destination, even with a changed route alignment.
• Seat reservations can be cancelled free of charge.
• If your train has been cancelled, you can get a full refund with no deductions.