German rail strike starts, also affecting international trains

Railroad employees in Germany again went on strike in a lengthy labor action that started early on Thursday. It is the fifth strike in the months-long conflict over a new collectively bargained contract between the German train drivers' union GDL and state railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB). International train traffic between the Netherlands and Germany will also be seriously disrupted in the coming days.

The strike started at 2 a.m. on Thursday and will last 35 hours, ending at 1 p.m. on Friday. Freight train drivers have also stopped working; their strike started earlier on Wednesday. During an earlier strike and at various points during the protracted labor dispute, international train traffic was massively affected.

DB has once again introduced an emergency timetable, which means that approximately one-fifth of its long-distance trains will operate. The consequences for regional train traffic will differ per area, DB predicted. The railway company also said it expects trains in Germany will only return to their normal timetable on Saturday.

Train traffic between the Netherlands and Germany will be halted during the period of the strike, a spokesperson for Dutch national railway NS said earlier. The ICE International and the Intercity to Berlin will not run. The night trains to Austria and Switzerland will also not depart on Thursday, she said. The NS advised travelers to keep a close eye on updates and the travel planner. "We remain dependent on the situation across the border," the NS said.

In addition, an Arriva spokesperson said that the carrier is also cancelling trains to and from Germany. The Arriva express train from Maastricht to Aachen will run only as far as Heerlen during the strike.

GDL union members want to use the strike to demand higher wages to compensate for high inflation. They also want a shorter working week of 35 hours instead of 38 hours, while being paid the same wages. That is why the railway staff is stopping work for 35 hours, "so that everyone in the country realizes what we are talking about," said GDL chair Claus Weselsky.

The last large-scale German rail strike at the end of January lasted for six days. However, it received little support from most Germans, a poll showed at the time.