Railroad warning strike brings restrictions in the north
Deutsche Bahn passengers must be prepared for train cancellations and delays in Schleswig-Holstein until Thursday. The German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) has called for a warning strike in rail traffic from Wednesday evening, 10 p.m., until Thursday evening, 6 p.m..
Deutsche Bahn announced that it expects "massive effects" on rail operations. Long-distance and regional services will have to be severely restricted. An emergency timetable is planned for long-distance services. The GDL and Deutsche Bahn have been negotiating a new collective agreement since last Thursday.
According to Deutsche Bahn, all passengers who wish to postpone their planned journey during the strike can use their ticket at a later date. The train binding has been lifted. The ticket is valid for the journey to the original destination, even if the route is changed. Seat reservations can be canceled free of charge.
Deutsche Bahn intends to maintain a minimum timetable for regional services in Schleswig-Holstein. "Nevertheless, in this situation we cannot guarantee that all travelers will get to their destination," the company wrote on its website. "If possible, please postpone planned journeys."
The RE 6/60 (Westerland/Sylt - Hamburg-Altona) is to run between Westerland and Niebüll mainly every three hours, with more frequent services at peak times. Occasional trains will run on the route between Husum and Niebüll. Between Itzehoe and Hamburg, passengers will also be able to use the Nordbahn trains (RB61/RB71).
The RE 7/RE 70 (Flensburg/Kiel - Hamburg) is expected to run every two hours to and from Hamburg. From and to Flensburg, passengers will have to change trains in Neumünster. The RE 8/80 (Lübeck - Hamburg) is expected to run every hour. The RB 81 (Bad Oldesloe - Hamburg) is also expected to run every hour.
The RB 86 (Lübeck-Travemünde Strand - Lübeck) will be canceled. Buses on lines 30, 31 and 40 will run between Lübeck main station and Lübeck-Travemünde Strand.
Tariffs during the strike might depend on Deutsche Bahn's flexibility due to the railroad disruptions. The strike could also lead to increased traffic on alternative modes of transportation, such as roads.
Source: www.dpa.com
