Warning strike on public transport and hundreds of thousands of spectators at sporting events at the same time – getting to stadiums and arenas is likely to be difficult for many fans at the weekend.
1. FC Kaiserslautern still has many fans in Rhineland-Palatinate, apparently also among the local representatives of the Verdi union: The public transport strike that was actually called nationwide for the weekend will be suspended in Kaiserslautern on Saturday morning. Just in time for the kick-off of the second division game between FCK and SC Paderborn, so that the fans can take the bus to Betzenberg, as Verdi announced.
At many other Bundesliga locations, football fans will have to improvise when arriving at the weekend. Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance and regional transport as well as S-Bahn trains are not affected by the warning strike, which is due to last until Saturday evening. But nothing will work in local public transport, the buses and trains that fans use to travel to the stadium in many cities.
Many clubs therefore recommend that fans walk or cycle the last part of the stadium if possible. If you arrive by car, you should do so early – and when parking, try to park further away.
80,000 fans at the classic in Dortmund, plus Athletics DM and techno party
On Saturday evening (6:30 p.m.) there will be a “classic” between BVB and FC Bayern in Dortmund in front of 80,000 fans. It takes around 40 minutes on foot from Dortmund main station to the Westfalenstadion. BVB advises all stadium visitors to arrive as early as possible. What makes matters worse is that a section of Autobahn 2 around Dortmund is completely closed, and there are two other major events on Saturday: the Athletics DM and a techno event in the neighboring Westfalenhalle.
Things could already be chaotic at the games on Friday evening: In Augsburg, where 1. FC Cologne is playing at the start of the 24th matchday, the local public utility company has announced that the company’s around 940 rental bikes can be used free of charge via a mobile phone app. The Augsburg Panthers will also be playing against Munich in the German Ice Hockey League in Augsburg in the evening.
West duel in Düsseldorf – Emergency timetable the Rhine Railway
In Düsseldorf, Fortuna welcomes VfL Bochum for the West duel early on Friday evening. The stadium is located far away from the main train station on the northern outskirts of the North Rhine-Westphalia state capital, but the Düsseldorf Rheinbahn announced that the subway line to the stadium will run every ten minutes.
In Fürth, where second division leaders Schalke 04 will be on Saturday evening, the local transport company has also announced an emergency timetable to the stadium at Ronhof, and buses from private companies are also running.
Shuttle service in Leverkusen and Mönchengladbach not affected
Things will be less critical at the weekend at the Bundesliga locations, which use shuttle buses to travel between the train station and the stadium, which are not directly operated by the local public transport system.
In Mönchengladbach, where more than 50,000 fans are expected for Borussia’s game against Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon, buses from the main station and the train station will be used as usual. The shuttle service to the BayArena also runs as usual in Leverkusen, and the Werkself will host 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday.
