Rail strike: What passengers need to be prepared for

Which services are affected by the rail strike?
Which regions are affected?
When does it start?
Where can I find out about my train?
What happens to my ticket?
Why is the GDL on strike?

Questions and answers - Rail strike: What passengers need to be prepared for

The train drivers' union GDL has announced the next warning strike, which is likely to cause massive train disruptions once again. From 10 p.m. on Thursday evening, large parts of long-distance and regional rail services will once again come to a standstill for 24 hours, as the GDL announced on Wednesday evening. Freight traffic is to go on strike as early as 6 p.m. on Thursday evening. In addition to Deutsche Bahn, other railroad companies such as the Transdev Group (including Bayerische Oberlandbahn and NordWestBahn) are also affected by the warning strike. The GDL also considers the wage negotiations with Transdev to have failed.

If the warning strikes of the competing railroad and transport union (EVG) are included, this is already the fourth time this year that passengers have had to prepare for far-reaching restrictions on the railways. What they can expect again.

Which services are affected by the rail strike?

According to the union's call, the warning strike will once again affect all types of transport. Extensive restrictions are to be expected in long-distance, regional and freight transport. Whether long-distance transport will be completely shut down this time was initially unclear. During the previous GDL warning strike, around one in five ICE and IC trains on long-distance services were affected. The impact on regional services varied greatly depending on the region.

The GDL mainly represents train drivers and train crews at Deutsche Bahn. Train dispatchers, who coordinate train services nationwide, have also been called out on warning strike. However, the GDL is not strongly represented among them. Wherever a train driver comes to work despite the strike, a train can theoretically run.

Which regions are affected?

The warning strike call applies nationwide. Experience has shown that many employees are organized with the GDL, particularly in the eastern German states and in the southwest. This means that in many places there will be no more regional transport services. The GDL also has many members in Stuttgart and Frankfurt. In both cities, suburban rail services are likely to be hit hard. In the north-west of the country, on the other hand, the union is less well represented. Regional transport in particular could therefore be less affected here.

When will it start?

The official start of the warning strike in passenger transport is at 10 p.m. this Thursday. However, passengers may already have to prepare for train cancellations in the hours beforehand. During the previous warning strikes, Deutsche Bahn tried to park the trains where they would be needed after the warning strike.

According to the GDL, the industrial action will last until Friday, 22:00.

Where can I find out about my train?

You can usually find out whether a long-distance or regional train is running or not via the Bahn app or the website. Deutsche Bahn has also set up a telephone number for individual information during the previous warning strikes.

What happens to my ticket?

During the previous warning strikes this year, DB canceled train reservations so that passengers could bring forward or catch up on their journey. Seat reservations could be canceled free of charge. Anyone who did not want to travel at all was also able to cancel their ticket free of charge during the first GDL warning strike.

DB had not yet sent out any customer information for the upcoming strike by 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening.

Why is the GDL on strike?

The warning strike announcement came almost two weeks after the GDL declared the wage negotiations to have failed. In two rounds of negotiations to date, the union's core demand in particular could not be resolved: The reduction of working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours with full pay compensation. The railroad company did not agree to this demand in the second round of negotiations either.

In addition, the union is demanding, among other things, an increase of 555 euros per month and an inflation adjustment bonus. Deutsche Bahn had offered eleven percent higher wages for a term of 32 months as well as the inflation compensation bonus. Both sides were supposed to meet again this Thursday for negotiations. Following the warning strike announcement, Deutsche Bahn canceled the talks.