Rail warning strike: Cancellations also on regional services in Hesse
Due to the nationwide warning strike at Deutsche Bahn, many commuters and travelers in Hesse will have to change their plans this Thursday. In addition to long-distance services, the industrial action will also have a serious impact on regional services and suburban trains in Hesse. The warning strike by the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) will have a "massive impact on all of Deutsche Bahn's long-distance, regional and S-Bahn services", according to a statement from Deutsche Bahn. In addition, it cannot be ruled out that the warning strike will also affect private railroad companies that are not on strike.
DB appealed to its passengers to postpone non-essential journeys. The strike was due to begin on Wednesday evening at 10 p.m. and end on Thursday evening. "In regional transport, the aim is to run a greatly reduced service," said a DB spokeswoman. The options vary greatly from region to region. Travelers should therefore inform themselves about connections before their journey, it said.
The Hessische Landesbahn expected the strike to have an impact, as a spokeswoman said on Wednesday. In particular, the involvement of train dispatchers would also have an impact on transport companies whose train drivers are not taking part in the strike. If signal boxes are closed, the respective routes would have to be closed completely. According to the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV), regional and S-Bahn lines in its area are likely to be canceled.
According to a spokesperson for the Nordhessischer Verkehrsverbund (NVV), it is mainly the DB lines that will be canceled in northern Hesse - other regional trains should run as normal. "However, if train dispatchers also go on strike, there may also be cancellations on other regional train lines," said the spokesperson. The regional streetcar in Kassel is also expected to run regularly.
The private rail company Vlexx assumed on Wednesday that its lines would run according to the regular timetable. The employees have not been called to strike. Should infrastructure, for example in signal boxes, be affected, cancellations and delays are also to be expected here.
The subway trains in Frankfurt and the streetcars in the major cities in Hesse are not affected. Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main (VGF) has announced that it will run longer trains on subway lines 1, 2, 6 and 7 in order to cope with the higher passenger volumes.
In the wage negotiations with Deutsche Bahn, the GDL is demanding, among other things, an increase of 555 euros per month for employees as well as an inflation compensation bonus of up to 3000 euros.
The strike by German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) may also lead to disruptions in private railroad companies not participating in the action. Consumers planning to use regional services in Hesse should carefully check the tariffs for any alternative transportation options due to the reduced service. Trade unions in the railroad industry may influence both trade and consumer behavior with their actions, leading to potential traffic disruptions and subsequent economic consequences.
Source: www.dpa.com
