The train drivers’ union GDL has decided to go on strike at Deutsche Bahn. In the strike vote of the union, 95 percent of the participating members voted for a labor dispute, as the organization announced in writing on Tuesday in Frankfurt.
You can find out all further developments regarding the rail strike in our live ticker.
The strike in freight traffic begins on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m., and the following night, from 11 August at 2 a.m., passenger traffic will also be completely on strike. “This is a nationwide strike,” emphasizes Weselsky.
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No information is available about the intended duration of the first wave of strikes. As a reminder, in May 2015 the union even went out of work for six consecutive days. It was the longest strike so far in the collective bargaining dispute at the time.
What do travelers need to know now?
Travelers should keep an eye on the news, look for alternatives and possibly reschedule trips.
Anyone traveling by train to another city during the strike should check whether they can rebook to a flight or a rental car. Caution! Prices could rise massively between the strike days.
If you are traveling privately, you should consider: The less you have to change on a route, the lower the risk that you will end up in unknown cities and possibly even have to spend the night there.
Travelers should also check the news, pay attention to announcements on the platform and in the trains and also note the hotline 0800 09 96 633. Because trains could fail unexpectedly on the day of the strike, travelers should definitely check alternatives such as Flixtrain, Flixbus, Eurolines, IC Bus, Uber, MyTaxi and other private providers.
In the past, Deutsche Bahn organized long-distance buses or shared taxis to replace trains. That could repeat itself now.
Basically, the railway is responsible for strike-related failures. If a train is canceled or a delay of more than 20 minutes is to be expected, travelers can take a different – and more expensive – train route.
- Example: Anyone who originally booked a trip with the IC or EC can then switch to the ICE in the event of a delay of more than 20 minutes or a strike-related cancellation.
First rail strike during Corona – that’s important now!
It could get busier than usual in the corridors and on the platforms. Travelers should definitely bear that in mind.
If possible, keep your distance and wear an FFP2 mask. Take several masks with you on longer train journeys, which you can exchange at regular intervals. It is also helpful to have disinfectant with you if you want to go to the train toilets, for example.
If you have to go to the hotel, you should know: In Bavaria, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein, unvaccinated hotel guests need a negative antigen rapid test on arrival. In North Rhine-Westphalia, this applies to districts with a 7-day incidence of 10 or more.
If you are traveling with children, it would be advisable to either cancel the trip completely on the day of the strike, to switch to other means of transport or to change the trip completely.