The train drivers' union GDL ended its strike at Deutsche Bahn prematurely on Monday morning and the company is back to its regular timetable, but with a few predicted delays.
How will passengers be affected, and is there the possibility of more train strikes in the near future?
Will all trains be running as usual again from Monday morning?
At least that’s the hope of Deutsche Bahn. "From 2:00 am on Monday, we will try to run the normal long-distance services again as far as possible," said a Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman for the company at the weekend.
"There will certainly be a few jolts here and there on Monday," said the spokeswoman.
As of 11:00 am on Monday, several S-Bahn lines around Germany were running only every 20 minutes instead of in a usual 10 minute interval, reported DPA.
Since the start of the passenger transport strike on Wednesday morning, Deutsche Bahn had been working with an emergency timetable. This meant that around 20 percent of the usual long-distance services were running.
Freight trains, which saw service come to a halt on Tuesday evening, have been already running since Sunday evening.
READ ALSO: 'Majority of Germans' don't support striking train drivers
Do train tickets for Monday now also have to be used on Monday?
No. Deutsche Bahn said that passengers could postpone all tickets with travel dates during the strike, if necessary, make up for them after the originally planned end of strike on Monday at 6:00 pm - an offer which continues to remain in place.
"All passengers who wish to postpone their journey originally planned for Wednesday, 24.01.2024 to Monday, 29.01.2024 can continue to use their ticket at a later date," Deutsche Bahn wrote in a statement Monday morning.
Where can I find information about the timetable from Monday?
Anyone wishing to travel by train on Monday should keep an eye on the timetable information on the Deutsche Bahn website or in the DB Navigator app.
When is the next strike looming?
At least the next five weeks up to and including March 3rd should be free of actions from Deutsche Bahn - though Berlin residents may have to brace themselves for a strike on local public transport organised by union Verdi.
Deutsche Bahn reached an agreement with the GDL to negotiate new collective agreements starting on February 5th in private and, if necessary, with moderators. The aim is to reach an agreement by the beginning of March.
And what if negotiations don't succeed?
If this is successful, further strikes at Deutsche Bahn in the coming months would also be ruled out.
Without an agreement, longer strikes are possible again at any time. Following a ballot among GDL members in November, GDL head Claus Weselsky has been allowed to call for strikes at any time, provided no labour court stops him. Previous attempts to block train strikes by court means, such as in the case of a three-day strike in early January, have failed.
The union and the company have agreed that the negotiation period can be extended beyond March 3rd. However, if the negotiation offensive fails completely, the signs are likely to point to escalation and industrial action again.
READ ALSO: Why are German train drivers launching more strike action?
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