50 hours of rail strike: The S-Bahn trains are also at a standstill nationwide. Buses are largely unaffected – but there are exceptions.
Frankfurt/Berlin – No replacement timetable, 50 hours of standstill at the railways: Train traffic in Germany will come to a complete standstill from 14 p.m. on Sunday evening (May 22) to 16 a.m. on Tuesday (May 24). However, since all occupational groups of the railway and transport union EVG are on strike, the rail strike has an impact far beyond Deutsche Bahn.
Deutsche Bahn points out that no replacement timetable will be offered because not only train and service staff are on strike, but also employees of other professions. "This means that it cannot be guaranteed that all signal boxes and operations centers that control train traffic are occupied," DB writes on its website. This also affects regional trains because they use DB's rail network.
50-hour rail strike: Are S-Bahn trains also affected?
The S-Bahn trains in Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and other S-Bahn networks in Germany are operated by DB Regio – so they are also on strike as a matter of principle. But the S-Bahn in Hamburg, which is operated by the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (HVV), is not exempt from the strike. Hamburg's S-Bahn trains will also not run during the rail strike.
The warning strike of the EVG also has an impact on the operation of buses and suburban trains. © Mounting: IPPEN. MEDIA/Daniel Bockwoldt/Paul Zinken/dpa
According to the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV), most regional and S-Bahn lines will be cancelled in its area. "We expect massive disruptions to S-Bahn traffic as early as early Sunday evening. If possible, please postpone planned journeys," warns the Munich S-Bahn on its website. There are alternatives for affected S-Bahn routes in many places, such as Cologne and the surrounding area.
50-hour rail strike: Are buses also affected?
Buses, subways and tram lines will generally not be affected by the 50-hour rail strike. They belong to transport associations that are not related to the EVG. In addition, no DB rail network is used. Frankfurt's subways, trams and buses, for example, are running according to plan from Sunday to Tuesday despite the announced rail warning strike. The EVG's strike call only affects regional trains and S-Bahn trains in the Rhine-Main area, the local transport company Frankfurt traffiQ announced on Thursday (11 May). In some places, even replacement buses are to partially replace the cancelled S-Bahns. Information on this will be available from the respective transport associations shortly before the strike.
However, there is one exception in the area of buses: many school buses could be cancelled during the rail strike. Students who are unable to get to school must be excused by their parents. The ministries of education and cultural affairs of the federal states as well as the websites of the schools provide information on the respective procedures. (kat)
