The train drivers’ union GDL is going into its longest strike round to date. This again leads to massive train cancellations and delays at Deutsche Bahn and the Stuttgart S-Bahn. Here you will find the most important information.
The train drivers’ union GDL resigns from work – for a whole five days. According to a DB spokeswoman, a basic service of around a quarter of the normal timetable will again be on the way in long-distance transport of Deutsche Bahn. Rail traffic in Stuttgart is also affected by the strikes.
When does a strike take place?
The strike in freight traffic will start on Wednesday at 5 p.m., and passenger traffic is to be added on Thursday morning at 2 a.m. The work stoppage, which hits the passengers directly, is said to last for five days. The passenger trains as well as the entire infrastructure of the railway will be on strike until Tuesday (September 7th) at 2 a.m., as the GDL announced on Monday. The restrictions are likely to drag on well into Wednesday, even if the labor dispute officially ends at two in the morning.
Which trains are affected?
The long-distance trains as well as the S-Bahn and regional trains of Deutsche Bahn are on strike. During the strike days, the railway offers a free information hotline on 08000 99 66 33. Deutsche Bahn asks to postpone long-distance travel for the strike period from September 2nd to 6th if possible.
As in previous strikes, the ticket validity will be extended so that they can still be used or canceled after the work stoppage. In addition, tickets for journeys that fall during the period of the strike, can be used flexibly or canceled free of charge.
What is the situation like in Stuttgart’s local transport?
The strike will also cause significant disruptions in local transport. The S-Bahn routes S12 Schorndorf – Esslingen, S15 Bietigheim-Bissingen – Herrenberg, S30 Flughafen / Messe – Vaihingen and the regional trains RB 11 Untertürkheim – Kornwestheim (Schusterbahn) and RB 64 Kirchheim – Oberlenningen (Teckbahn) are not used. The transport companies also suspect restrictions on the lines RB14 / IC Vaihingen / Böblingen – Rottweil / Singen and RB 19 Stuttgart – Schwäbisch Hall-Hessental. There are also no early trips to the airport.
The lines that, according to the VVS, are likely to operate under an alternative timetable are the S1, S2 Schorndorf – Hauptbahnhof, S23 Backnang – Filderstadt, S4 Backnang – Hauptbahnhof, S5 Bietigheim-Bissingen – Hauptbahnhof, S6 Weil der Stadt – Hauptbahnhof and S60 Böblingen – Renningen. The replacement schedule is intended to ensure hourly trips in the S-Bahn traffic. Here you can find the exact estimated departure schedule.
What alternatives are there?
Local trains from Abellio and Go-Ahead, trams of the SSB, branch lines of the WEG (Schönbuchbahn, Wieslauftalbahn, Strohgäubahn) as well as the SSB and regional buses are running according to schedule, as a spokesman for the VVS confirmed to t-online. In addition, the buses of the rail replacement service SEV 1 (from the main station) and SEV 2 (from Vaihingen) in downtown Stuttgart, which replace the blocked S-Bahn on the main line, are not affected by the strike. Line SEV 2 also runs on strike days between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. every 10 minutes. However, due to the higher number of passengers, delays can still occur here.
You can find out about current connections and alternatives in the VVS timetable app or in the online timetable information. There the striked routes are already excluded and from Thursday the hourly frequency should also be taken into account.
In Stuttgart, instead of the S-Bahn trains within the catchment area, car sharing offers, taxis or transport companies such as Uber can also be used.
Where are the threats of traffic jams on the streets?
Anyone who changes from the train to the car now has to be prepared for traffic jams and restrictions in some places. Due to the likely increased volume of traffic during the strike, road works and closed roads may take even longer for drivers. here you will find an overview of current construction sites and closures.
Why is there a strike?
“The goal is not to paralyze rail traffic” – instead, GDL boss Claus Weselsky wants “Achieve better incomes and the small pensions […] protection”. The announced strike is “one of the longest industrial action,” but see each other “In view of the blockade attitude of the DB managers not ready and unwilling to carry out shorter industrial action here”.
The announced GDL strike are already preceded by two rounds of strikes in passenger traffic. In the wage conflict, the union is calling for wage increases of around 3.2 percent and a corona bonus of 600 euros in the current year. The railway wants to distribute the increase in stages over a longer period of time.
Deutsche Bahn has criticized the announced strike of the train drivers’ union GDL as a “completely superfluous” burden on customers.
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