Warning strike - many cancellations in NRW regional transport too
Due to the nationwide warning strike at Deutsche Bahn, many trains were also canceled in North Rhine-Westphalia on Thursday morning. Although the previously issued emergency plan has started accordingly, travelers must expect severe disruptions, according to a railroad spokesperson. In addition to long-distance services, the industrial action also had a serious impact on regional services and suburban trains.
At Cologne Central Station, things remained correspondingly quiet early on Thursday morning. According to a dpa photographer, there were no people at the DB information desk. He said that nobody there had apparently been surprised by the warning strike.
The railroad had already issued an emergency timetable on Wednesday. On many routes, no train services were planned at all during the work stoppages, on other routes there was only a greatly reduced service. In some cases, the railroad had organized replacement buses.
The emergency timetable will remain in force until Thursday evening (18:00) due to the warning strike by the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL). The GDL has called for the 20-hour warning strike in order to emphasize its demand for higher wages and shorter working hours. Deutsche Bahn described the warning strike as "completely unnecessary" and an imposition for rail travelers.
Other rail companies such as National Express and Eurobahn did not go on strike. However, according to the railroad spokesperson, the signal boxes in Bonn-Beuel and Hohenlimburg (Hagen) were not manned on Thursday morning due to the GDL strike. This means that there are also effects for other railroad companies, he said.
Passengers are advised to check the digital timetable information to find out whether their train is running. The company advised rail customers to avoid non-essential journeys during the warning strike. The mobility guarantee, which otherwise reimburses the costs of a cab or car-sharing car in the event of delays and train cancellations, does not apply during the strike.
The warning strike by the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) not only affected Deutsche Bahn's long-distance and regional services but also led to disruptions in the operation of signal boxes at Bonn-Beuel and Hohenlimburg, impacting other rail companies as well. The tariffs imposed by the GDL strikes significantly increased traffic congestion at various railway stations throughout North Rhine-Westphalia.
Source: www.dpa.com
