Warning strike: What passengers need to be prepared for

Railroad - Warning strike: What passengers need to be prepared for

After the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) declared the wage negotiations with Deutsche Bahn to have failed almost two weeks ago, it has now announced the next warning strike. As of Thursday evening, 10 p.m., large parts of long-distance and regional rail traffic will once again come to a standstill for 24 hours, as the GDL announced in the 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 you include the warning strikes of the competing railroad and transport union (EVG), this is already the fourth time this year that passengers have had to prepare for far-reaching restrictions on the railways due to a wage dispute.

Which services are affected?

According to the union call, the warning strike will once again affect all types of transport. Considerable disruptions are to be expected in long-distance, regional and freight transport. "As with the last strike, DB will offer an emergency timetable for long-distance services with a greatly reduced number of journeys," the rail company announced in the evening. The rail company will be using longer trains with more seats - but a ride cannot be guaranteed, it said. During the previous GDL warning strike, around one in five scheduled long-distance trains ran.

"In regional transport, the aim is to run a greatly reduced service. The extent to which this is possible varies greatly from region to region," said DB.

The GDL mainly represents train drivers and train crews at Deutsche Bahn. Train dispatchers, who coordinate train services nationwide, have also been called to take part in the 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. "In any case, there will also be massive restrictions on regional services. This applies in particular to Bavaria, where the clean-up work after the historic snowfall at the weekend is still ongoing," the railroad announced.

When does 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. According to DB, the emergency timetable will be available there from Thursday afternoon. For individual information, Deutsche Bahn will be setting up a strike hotline from Thursday morning (08000 99 66 33).

What happens to my ticket?

All passengers who wish to postpone their journey planned for December 7 or 8 due to the strike can use their ticket at a later date. "The train binding is canceled. The ticket is valid for the journey to the original destination, even if the route is changed," it said.

Seat reservations can be canceled free of charge. Passengers also have the option to bring forward their journey and travel on the Thursday before the start of the strike as part of a special goodwill gesture.

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.