10:01 p.m.: The warning strike has begun
The GDL warning strike at Deutsche Bahn has begun. It’s supposed to last 20 hours – until 6 p.m. tomorrow evening. The industrial action by the train drivers’ union is also expected to lead to severe restrictions on train traffic in Bavaria. A spokeswoman for the railway said that there was an emergency timetable for long-distance transport.
In regional transport, the aim is to ensure a greatly reduced offer. The Munich S-Bahn, for example, aims to run every hour, and trains to the airport should run every 20 minutes. It is still unclear to what extent private railway companies in Bavaria are also affected by the strike. Nationwide, Deutsche Bahn assumes that less than 20 percent of ICE or IC connections are made.
9 p.m.: Increased demand for buses and rental cars due to the warning strike
Because of the warning strike by the train drivers’ union GDL, many travelers want to switch to buses or rental cars. “We are seeing a significantly increased demand for tickets due to the announced strike at both FlixBus and FlixTrain,” said a spokesman for the long-distance bus and train platform Flix in Munich. “But we have enough capacity so that DB travelers can switch to our offers at short notice.” If necessary, additional vehicles would be used.
Rental cars are also booked well. “We are currently experiencing high demand at Europcar,” said Tobias Zisik, Managing Director of the Europcar Mobility Group in Germany. “Since large trade fairs are taking place at the same time in the north and west, availability is particularly tight there.” In Bavaria and the other southern federal states there are still vehicles.
5.20 p.m.: GDL accuses Bahn of refusing to negotiate
After the railway canceled the collective bargaining talks planned for Thursday due to the GDL’s warning strike, the train drivers’ union accused the company of refusing to do so. “It is clearly the railway board that has no interest in a solution at the negotiating table,” said GDL boss Claus Weselsky on Wednesday. The GDL will appear at the hearing location on Thursday as agreed “despite the railway’s refusal”.
Bahn and GDL started collective bargaining negotiations last week and agreed on several negotiation dates. The railway presented an offer that provided for an eleven percent increase in wages and an inflation bonus of up to 2,850 euros for a term of 32 months. The railway did not make an offer to reduce working hours as requested by the GDL.
3:55 p.m.: No change to ÖBB possible
Changing to Austrian Federal Railways trains will probably not be an option for passengers in southern Bavaria either. Rail traffic to and from Germany is expected to be suspended during the strike, ÖBB announced on Wednesday. This also applies to the Nightjet night trains to Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. However, the ÖBB trains are supposed to run from Innsbruck to Salzburg, which run on Bavarian tracks via Rosenheim due to the lack of a suitable railway line through the Alps.
3:20 p.m.: S-Bahn aims to run every hour
The Munich S-Bahn aims to run every hour, and trains to the airport should run every 20 minutes. The DB wanted to announce details of the S-Bahn timetables on its website during the afternoon.
12.30 p.m.: “Pro Bahn” complains about the lack of a minimum offer
The passenger association “Pro Bahn” in Swabia would have liked a “binding minimum range of travel options”. This was also “repeatedly demanded” in the event of a strike. Instead, one now has to fear “massive disruption to DB train traffic” in long-distance, regional and S-Bahn traffic.
State board member Jörg Lange also pointed out that the “majority of the dispatchers in the signal boxes” are organized in the rival union EVG, so there is no call for a strike.
12.27 p.m.: Bahn cancels second round of collective bargaining with GDL union
Further talks between Deutsche Bahn and the train drivers’ union GDL were actually planned for Thursday and Friday. Because of the announced warning strikes, the railway has now canceled these talks. “Either you go on strike or you negotiate. You can’t do both at the same time,” said human resources director Martin Seiler, explaining the reasons.
12.15 p.m.: Delays probably also on the Bavarian Regiobahn
There may also be delays and train cancellations on the Bayerische Regiobahn, or BRB for short, routes as a result of the GDL warning strike. The BRB pointed this out upon request. The company is not going on strike, but the dispatchers at DB Netz AG could take part in the strike, and without a dispatcher there will be no train service, according to a press spokeswoman.
It is difficult for the BRB to predict how many dispatchers will take part in the GDL strike on Wednesday morning. All BRB customers are advised to check the website and Facebook for the latest information tomorrow morning.
11.52 a.m.: Bahn expects massive restrictions due to strike
The warning strike by the train drivers’ union GDL in the collective bargaining dispute with Deutsche Bahn will result in massive restrictions in Bavarian regional transport. The strike is scheduled to begin on Wednesday evening at 10 p.m. and end on Thursday evening.
The DB appealed to its passengers to postpone non-essential trips. “Due to the warning strike, there will be massive disruption to Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance, regional and S-Bahn traffic during this period,” the state-owned company warned on its website.
According to DB, there may be no trains running in some regions – although the details were still unclear on Wednesday morning. The S-Bahn trains in Munich and Nuremberg, which belong to the DB, also warned of disruptions.