It could already be on Tuesday. Then Claus Weselsky and his GDL could call for a strike. A strike vote runs counter to the deadline on August 6th. The GDL wants to count the votes by August 9th. Weselsky wants to announce the result himself at a press conference. A possible sentence that might be uttered during the meeting: “We are going to stop work.”
That would be the shock of the strike back and Germany could face delays, long waiting times and train cancellations.
Weselsky announced in advance that the strike could last longer this time than in 2015. At that time, Deutsche Bahn employees had stopped working for a few days at irregular intervals over a period of several months.
In the middle of the Corona crisis, travelers could stand packed with suitcases close to the train tracks.
When does the strike start and how long does it last?
It is still completely unclear when the strike will start exactly. Wednesday morning is traded as a possible start. Surprisingly, it could also be held on the weekends in mid-August.
In extreme cases, the GDL will stop working as early as Tuesday noon. That would also have the character of a warning strike. “Our GDL local groups have already set up their local strike lines”, it says in a message to the GDL members in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is available to FOCUS Online.
No information is available about the intended duration of the first wave of strikes. Initially, the strike could last a day. The GDL wants to announce concrete plans by Tuesday at the latest. 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 expected during Corona – that’s important now!
It could get busier than usual in the corridors and on the platforms. Travelers should definitely bear this in mind.
If possible, keep your distance and wear an FFP2 mask. On longer train journeys, take several masks with you, 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.