As of: March 7, 2024, 2:23 p.m
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Strikers stand at Berlin Brandenburg Airport with a banner that says “No more East-West tariff differences”.
© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
Commuters had a difficult time in Berlin and Brandenburg on Thursday: the fifth strike by the train drivers' union GDL led to significant restrictions on regional and S-Bahn traffic.
There is no relaxation in sight.
Berlin - No ring railway, no airport express, only a few S- and regional trains: The strike by the train drivers' union GDL has also led to significant restrictions for commuters and travelers in Berlin and Brandenburg.
In the Berlin inner city ring, almost all S-Bahn traffic came to a standstill.
Only the lines S1, S2, S25 and S46 ran every 60 minutes between the outskirts and some train stations in the center.
There was not a single line operated by the railways in regional transport.
Commuters between Brandenburg and the capital therefore had a difficult time.
Only the RE1 and RE8 lines operated by Odeg were running according to the usual timetable.
The National Express RE4 line also ran without restrictions.
The two companies, like the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), were not affected by the strike.
In Berlin, passengers were therefore able to switch to buses, subways and trams.
However, the BVG had warned that during this strike the vehicles would again be significantly fuller than usual.
This is likely to continue on Friday: the strike by the German Locomotive Drivers Union is not scheduled to officially end until 1 p.m. that day.
However, there will likely be further restrictions in Berlin and Brandenburg in the hours that follow.
“In regional and S-Bahn traffic, after the end of the strike, the offer will be gradually expanded again until the end of the day,” the railway announced on Thursday.
The union called for a 35-hour strike on Monday in the collective bargaining dispute with the railway.
This is the fifth strike in the collective bargaining dispute that has been going on since November.
The railway is expecting severe restrictions in long-distance, regional and S-Bahn traffic nationwide.
The GDL does not want to announce further strikes around two days in advance, as it has done so far.
This could lead to unexpected restrictions for passengers on Berlin S-Bahn traffic in the future.
In addition, GDL boss Claus Weselsky has not yet ruled out labor disputes over Easter.
“Easter is still a few days away, actually weeks away, and that’s why I can’t answer that,” he said on RBB Inforadio on Thursday.
dpa