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TRAIN TRAVEL

‘Rail no longer reliable’: How latest German train strikes are hitting services

On Monday German train drivers union GDL called more strikes this week - as well as future unlimited ones which would be announced without prior notice. Here's what passengers need to know.

Published: 4 March 2024 17:20 CET
Updated: 7 March 2024 12:21 CET
Leipzig
A train leaves Leipzig's main train station. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Hendrik Schmidt

On Thursday and Friday only one in five regional, long-distance and S-Bahn trains are slated to be in service as the GDL union stages another round of strikes.

While the strike is set to stretch until Friday at 1 pm, delays are expected throughout the day.

READ ALSO: German air and rail workers walk out simultaneously in new strike round

What’s going on?

After four months of failed negotiations between German train drivers union GDL and the state-owned Deutsche Bahn, GDL head Claus Weselsky felt like the final straw had been reached.

Following an more than month-long peace truce between the last Deutsche Bahn train strikes and the latest round of negotiations which ended Sunday, Weselsky on Monday called for “a wave” of unlimited actions which would render regional and long-distance transport “unreliable”.

READ ALSO: German train drivers union announces new wave of strikes

The first action on passenger trains started Thursday.

“The first strike will last for 35 hours so everyone in the country can feel what we are talking about,” Weselsky said, adding that further strikes would follow.

“We are starting a so-called wave of strikes,” he said, which will be announced “when we think the time is right” and no longer 48 hours in advance as has been the case in the past.

As a result, “rail is no longer a reliable means of transport”, he added

What is the exact timing of the strikes?

The upcoming strike in passenger transport began on Thursday at 2 am and ended on Friday at 1 pm, said Weselsky. 

In rail freight transport, the strike already began Wednesday at 6 pm and last until 5 am on Friday.

After that, however, further work stoppages would come spontaneously, and Weselsky left it open open whether there would also be strikes over the four day Easter weekend starting Friday, March 29th.

Weselsky announcing the strikes at a press conference in Berlin on Monday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Hannes P Albert

What is the union demanding?

As well as a salary hike to help train drivers cope with higher living costs, the GDL union is pushing for a reduced working week of 35 hours, down from 38 hours, with no loss in wages.

Deutsche Bahn says it has made concessions amounting to up to 13 percent more pay, as well as the option of cutting the work week by one hour from 2026.

How will “strike waves” affect passengers?

Passengers could be caught cold by this new strategy before starting their journey. This is because the procedure could prevent Deutsche Bahn from being able to draw up emergency timetables before the start of the strike as they have previously done.

According to Weselsky, neither the length nor the start of the nationwide wave strikes will be known and emergency plans will “very probably not be possible”.

The strike also has a broader effect on the economy. A multi-day walkout by train drivers in January caused travel disruption for thousands of passengers and heaped pressure on supply chains already strained by tensions in the Middle East.

Deutsche Bahn estimates that each strike day costs the German economy “a low two-digit million figure”.

How severe are the restrictions on train transport?

According to Deutsche Bahn, the strike on Thursday and Friday will have a “massive impact” on operations. During the last strike at the end of January, around 20 percent of long-distance services alone were cancelled, and there were also major disruptions to Deutsche Bahn’s regional trains and S-Bahn trains.

What is running despite the strike – and where can I find out more?

“During the strike, DB is offering a basic range of long-distance, regional and S-Bahn services,” the Group writes on its website. The offer can be accessed via the timetable information on their website and in the DB Navigator or by calling the strike hotline on 0800-99 66 33. 

DB is also offering a a telephone travel information service on 030/2970. DB asks travellers to find out 24 hours before departure whether their connection is available.

What alternatives are there to travelling with DB?

Private railways such as FlixTrain are not on strike by the GDL and can still be used by travellers. Bus connections are a possible alternative. Travelling by plane will be difficult this week due to the announced Lufthansa strikes on Thursday and Friday.

READ ALSO: Lufthansa ground staff in Germany to stage another airport strike

Can travellers take another train?

Luckily yes. “All passengers who have purchased a ticket up to and including March 4th for a journey in the period from March 7th to March 8th 2024 and wish to postpone it due to the GDL strike can use their ticket at a later date,” wrote Deutsche Bahn in a statement. 

An ICE (Inter City Express) of German national railway operator Deutsche Bahn (DB). Photo: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP.

This means you can continue your journey to your planned destination on any other train, even if the route is different to the original one. This also applies to journeys from abroad to Germany and vice versa. Seat reservations that are no longer required can be cancelled free of charge at the DB ticket office. 

DB also put a goodwill offer on the table: Anyone who has the opportunity to bring their journey forward can travel with immediate effect.

How do the strikes affect employees?

The employee bears the so-called travel risk, meaning they need to make every reasonable effort to get to work on time. This may include travelling by car instead of taking the train. Delays that are foreseeable – as is usually the case with strikes – must be planned for by the employee.

 For example, you have to leave earlier or allow more time for a diversion.

If you are still late, this can have consequences under labour law. But there are also limits: For example, it’s not considered reasonable to start your journey to work the day before and stay overnight in a hotel. You also don’t have to pay for a taxi journey that is completely disproportionate to your salary.

While there is no entitlement to working from home during strikes, German employers are often flexible about ‘Home Office’, in fields which allow for it, during strikes.

How is Deutsche Bahn reacting to the newest strikes?

Not very well.

Chief Human Resources Officer Martin Seiler criticised the GDL’s announcement on Monday that it would no longer provide at least 48 hours’ notice of further strikes in future. “These are a sheer imposition for our passengers.”

Because the train drivers’ union is not getting its maximum demands, it is striking again, said Seiler.

“That’s stubborn and selfish. Many millions of people in our country cannot travel by train because the GDL leadership is unwilling to compromise.” 

He added that millions of euros are being wasted “because a few people are fighting for their own particular interests”. 

With reporting by AFP.

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TRAIN TRAVEL

Six exceptionally scenic train rides to take in Germany

Want to take a train trip in Germany but don't know where to start? Here are our top picks for beautiful rail routes across Germany – just grab a ticket and climb aboard.

Published: 6 May 2024 15:48 CEST
Updated: 14 May 2024 12:51 CEST
Six exceptionally scenic train rides to take in Germany

From the Rhine River Valley to Mainz

Extending most of the way down Germany’s western side, is an extensive train route connecting the Rhine River Valley to the Black Forest to Switzerland. 

But you don’t need to leave the Rhine Valley to experience one of the route’s more scenic sections. 

Starting in Cologne, this railway follows the Rhine River south. The picturesque part of this ride begins just past Koblenz and continues through the dramatic Rhine Gorge on to Mainz. This section offers views of castles on hill tops and quaint river-side villages.

To be sure you catch those river valley views, make sure that you take a train with stops in Bonn and Koblenz on its way to Mainz. As opposed to the non-stop train to Frankfurt that a navigator app may suggest.

The entire route from Cologne to Mainz takes nearly two hours on a fast ICE train. The section from Koblenz to Mainz takes 50 minutes.

If you’re travelling from Cologne, you’ll want to take a seat on the left side of the train. Likewise if you are coming from Mainz, you’ll want a seat on the right.

This route is the first section of “Route 9” in the latest edition of the Europe by Rail guide, which is a good resource for train-spiration in Europe.

Three lakes from Freiburg

Freiburg im Breisgau is the fourth largest city in the state of Baden-Württemberg, and is known throughout Germany to be a bit of a hippie hub. Which makes it a fitting location to embark on this forest-lined rail route.

READ ALSO: Basel vs Freiburg: Which city is better to live in?

Any of a number of trains from Freiburg will take you through the Black Forest, and therefore offer some splendid green views. 

But for the most striking scenery that the region’s railways have to offer, it is recommended to navigate to Seebrugg by way of the Höllentalbahn (Hell Valley Railway) to the Dreiseebahn (Three Lakes Railway).

To do so, you can catch an S10 or S11 train to Titisee, and then transfer to an S1 train to Seebrugg. Since both of these trains are S-bahns, Deutschlandticket holders don’t need to pay any additional fares for this route.

Between Titisee and Seebrugg, you’ll pass by three beautiful lakes, hence the name Dreiseebahn. You’ll also score sustained views of Bärental (Bear Valley).

The entire journey takes about an hour and 15 minutes.

Zugspitze Railway Route

On the topic of scenic views in Germany, the Alps always deserve a spot on this list. Considering train routes, the Bavarian Alps Railway (Bayerische Zugspitzbahn) deserves a mention.

Train to Zugspitze

Relax and admire the Zugspitze: If you take the train to do your mountain sports, you don’t have to worry about traffic jams and icy roads. Photo: picture-alliance/ dpa-tmn | DB_AG/Bartlomiej_Banaszak

This route starts off in the region’s best-known ski town, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and winds its way along the Alpine valleys toward the Austrian border, taking passengers to the base of the Zugspitze, which is Germany’s highest mountain. The journey takes about 90 minutes.

For some, Zugspitze offers Germany’s highest elevation hike, but for those not looking to get so many steps in, there is also a connected cable car that can take you to the top from the Eibsee stop.

The Bavarian Alps Railway is run by DB and connected to regional trains, so Deutschlandticket holders can enjoy this route on a day trip from Munich, for example, without purchasing another ticket.

Travellers without the monthly subscription ticket can buy a combined train and gondola ticket on the Zugspitze website.

Note that construction will cause railway disruptions during certain periods this spring and summer.

Brockenbahn: Harz Steam Railway Route

Usually a scenic train ride is just a bonus on the way to your destination. But what if the train journey was the destination?

As crazy as that may sound, for many passengers on the Brockenbahn in the Harz Mountains, that’s how it is.

The Brockenbahn is part of the greater Harz Railway (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen – HSB) which takes passengers through the notoriously scenic mountains and Harz National Park. It’s also a line hauled by historic steam-engine locomotives.

This route connects Wernigerode to the summit of Brocken mountain several times daily – with the entire line taking about an hour and 40 minutes. The summer timetable, including the connected HSB lines, can be found here.

Thanks to local agreements, Deutschlandticket holders can also ride HSB trains at no additional cost.

Dresden to Bad Schandau / Prague

You probably won’t read about this route in travel blogs, but anyone who’s taken a train from Berlin to Prague may have noticed that there is a particularly beautiful strip of tracks in the middle of the journey.

READ ALSO: Prague and Dresden added to Brussels night train route

Some of the most striking views are seen between Pirna (just outside of Dresden) and Bad Schandau, which is a spa town near the Czech border. Here the tracks follow the Elbe River, and you can catch glimpses of so-called Saxon Switzerland (Sächsische Schweiz), including a passing view of the infamous Bastei Bridge.

Of course the views don’t really end immediately at the border. So if you are compelled to journey into the Czech Republic, your views of rolling hills and small villages along the river will continue for some time.

This route is particularly gorgeous in autumn when trees all over the mountain sides have begun to turn red and yellow.

Local travellers can experience this line on an S1 train from Dresden with use of their local transportation passes. 

But if you are planning to cross the border, you’ll be on a long-distance train operated by Czech railway České dráhy (CD). You can buy tickets for CD trains coming from Germany from Deutsche Bahn, but sometimes it can be cheaper to find the same tickets on the CD website.

Allgäu train

A train runs through the Allgäu Alpine foothills. The region is known for its wildflower filled meadows, and Bavarian villages. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Karl-Josef Hildenbrand

Allgäu Railway

A quick image search for “Allgäu” provides reason enough to put this humble train trip on your Germany bucket list.

Crossing the beautiful Allgäu region, this hour and half train ride connects Ulm and Lindau, and offers views of rolling hills, wildflower filled meadows, and Bavarian villages along the way.

Best of all, it ends at Lake Constance, also called Bodensee, which is a stellar summer-time destination for a lake-side vacation.

READ ALSO: Living in Germany – Making the most of culture and lake life

Note that there are two main routes connecting Ulm to Lindau. Each of them takes about 90 minutes, but the one that travels directly through the Allgäu region is the one with a transfer in Memmingen.

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