From BZ/dpa
In Berlin and Brandenburg, the warning strike by the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL) brought almost all regional traffic to a standstill.
There are currently only individual trips, a DB spokesman told the German Press Agency on Thursday morning. The railway offers alternative buses on individual routes, for example between Berlin-Wannsee and Bad Belzig, between Spandau and Nauen or between Bernau and Eberswalde.
“Of course, the buses do not offer as much capacity as a train and cannot always reach all intermediate stops due to the different rail and road routes,” said the DB spokesman. Longer journey times are also to be expected, “but we can at least offer a few additional journeys”. All train and bus journeys that can be offered can be found in the timetable information online.
Deutsche Bahn has been on strike since Wednesday at 10 p.m Photo: Spreepicture
The Berlin S-Bahn is planned to run every 20 minutes on four lines to connect the outskirts and surrounding communities to Berlin’s city center. Specifically, it’s about the S3 (between Erkner and Ostbahnhof), the S46 (between Wildau and Schöneberg), the S5 (between Strausberg Nord and Charlottenburg) and the S9 (from Gesundbrunnen via Ostkreuz, Treptower Park to BER T1-2 airport).
Like Deutsche Bahn, the competing railway company Odeg also says it expects disruptions and failures on its lines. The GDL had also called for a warning strike for dispatchers who coordinate all rail traffic on the German rail network. Since the East German Railway uses the infrastructure of the Deutsche Bahn, restrictions are possible, it was said.
The GDL has called on its members to stop work from Wednesday 10 p.m. to Thursday 6 p.m. The railway expects disruptions in regional and long-distance transport nationwide.