Where will public transport in Germany be affected by strikes on Friday?
Local transport in all states except Bavaria will be out of service as workers down their tools on Friday. Where (and when) can passengers expect cancellations and delays?
Barely after the end of a five-day strike affecting all long-distance and regional trains, trade union Verdi has announced all-day warning strikes on local public transport in almost all of Germany’s 16 states.
That means that there will be considerable restrictions for passengers in around 80 cities on Friday: buses, the U-Bahn, and trams will remain inactive for most of the day. Some cities also run public ferry lines, and these will also be affected.
The exception to this is cities like Berlin, where the strike is only occurring in the morning.
READ ALSO: Germany to see another nationwide public transport strike on Friday
Bavaria, however, is excluded since there are currently no negotiations taking place there.
Here’s an overview of where - and when - passengers can expect travel restrictions.
Berlin and Brandenburg
The warning strike in Berlin will last from the start of operations at 4:00 am until 10:00 am, the Verdi union announced. Passengers should expect restrictions beyond this time, however.
In neighbouring Brandenburg, public transport will be on strike all day.
"We are sure that this industrial action will clearly show how serious our colleagues are," said chief negotiator Jeremy Arndt in a statement.
But local public transport operator BVG expressed its "irritation" at the union's announcement. "In view of the constructive talks, we consider warning strikes in Berlin to be inappropriate," said the BVG.
A U-Bahn train arrives at the Museumsinsel station in Berlin. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder
Baden-Württemberg
In Baden-Württemberg, employees of municipal transport companies in Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, Freiburg, Baden-Baden, Esslingen and Konstanz have been called on to join the strike. Verdi expects that there will be no buses or trains from the transport companies on strike in these cities throughout the whole day Friday.
Bremen and Lower Saxony
According to Verdii, six municipal companies in Lower Saxony and one in Bremen are affected. In Lower Saxony, employees of Braunschweiger Verkehrsgesellschaft, Göttinger Verkehrsbetriebe, Osnabus and SWO-Mobil in Osnabrück, Stadtbus Goslar, Üstra Hannover and Wolfsburger Verkehrsgesellschaft are to strike; in Bremen, employees of Bremer Straßenbahn AG will down their tools. A central rally is planned in Hanover on Friday.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Verdi hasn't yet confirmed if the northeastern state would see a strike on Friday, and said it could occur on Saturday or Sunday instead.
The union intends to announce on Tuesday afternoon when, how and where it will call on its members to strike.
Hesse
The cities of Kassel, Wiesbaden, Frankfurt and Offenbach are mainly affected, according to Verdi Hessen. Drivers of publically-operated buses, as well as U-Bahn trains and trams, have been called to strike.
North Rhine-Westphalia
According to Verdi, the strike will affect Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft, Rheinbahn (Düsseldorf), WSW mobil (Wuppertal), Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH (Solingen), Stadtwerke Remscheid GmbH (Remscheid), Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (Cologne), Stadtwerke Bonn GmbH (SWB), Ruhrbahn (Essen) and Stadtwerke Münster (Münster), among others.
The all-day warning strikes are expected to begin on Friday morning. In addition to commuters, pupils who usually travel to their schools by public transport will also be affected. The NRW Ministry of Education pointed out that school attendance is still compulsory.
The drivers association ADAC Nordrhein advised commuters to use bicycles where possible or to form car pools if they have to use their cars. An increased risk of traffic jams is to be expected in large cities and on the Autobahn, meaning employees should work from home if they can.
READ ALSO: Can workers in Germany stay home during transport strikes?
Rhineland-Palatinate
Strikes will affect all operations and locations of KRN-Kommunalverkehr Rhein-Nahe GmbH, Mainzer Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (Mainz), Stadtwerke Pirmasens Verkehrs-GmbH, SWK Stadtwerke Kaiserslautern Verkehrs-AG and SWT AöR (Trier).
A central strike rally is to take place on Friday from 11:00 am on the Theodor-Heuss Bridge between Mainz and Wiesbaden. Strikers from Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate as well as Baden-Württemberg and Saarland will all gather there.
U-Bahn trains pull up at a station in Stuttgart. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Gollnow
Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia
In Saxony, Verdi is calling on employees of municipal transport companies in Chemnitz, Dresden, Leipzig, Plauen and Zwickau to go on an all-day warning strike on Friday.
In Saxony-Anhalt, the municipal transport companies in Dessau, Halle, Magdeburg and the Burgenland district will also join the action.
In Thuringia, the municipal transport companies in Erfurt, Gera, Jena, Mühlhausen, Nordhausen, Sondershausen, Suhl/Zella-Mehlis, Weimar, the district of Weimarer Land and the Saale-Holzland district of Münster are affected.
Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg
In Hamburg, more than 2,000 employees of Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein VHH are to strike all day. This was announced by Irene Hatzidimou, head of Verdi’s Hamburg district, who said that the buses mainly serve the outskirts of Hamburg in Schleswig-Holstein and the outskirts of the city, but also travel into the city center.
The Hamburger Hochbahn will also also take part in the warning strike, meaning that busses and the U-Bahn are expected to come to a stillstand.
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Barely after the end of a five-day strike affecting all long-distance and regional trains, trade union Verdi has announced all-day warning strikes on local public transport in almost all of Germany’s 16 states.
That means that there will be considerable restrictions for passengers in around 80 cities on Friday: buses, the U-Bahn, and trams will remain inactive for most of the day. Some cities also run public ferry lines, and these will also be affected.
The exception to this is cities like Berlin, where the strike is only occurring in the morning.
READ ALSO: Germany to see another nationwide public transport strike on Friday
Bavaria, however, is excluded since there are currently no negotiations taking place there.
Here’s an overview of where - and when - passengers can expect travel restrictions.
Berlin and Brandenburg
The warning strike in Berlin will last from the start of operations at 4:00 am until 10:00 am, the Verdi union announced. Passengers should expect restrictions beyond this time, however.
In neighbouring Brandenburg, public transport will be on strike all day.
"We are sure that this industrial action will clearly show how serious our colleagues are," said chief negotiator Jeremy Arndt in a statement.
But local public transport operator BVG expressed its "irritation" at the union's announcement. "In view of the constructive talks, we consider warning strikes in Berlin to be inappropriate," said the BVG.
Baden-Württemberg
In Baden-Württemberg, employees of municipal transport companies in Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, Freiburg, Baden-Baden, Esslingen and Konstanz have been called on to join the strike. Verdi expects that there will be no buses or trains from the transport companies on strike in these cities throughout the whole day Friday.
Bremen and Lower Saxony
According to Verdii, six municipal companies in Lower Saxony and one in Bremen are affected. In Lower Saxony, employees of Braunschweiger Verkehrsgesellschaft, Göttinger Verkehrsbetriebe, Osnabus and SWO-Mobil in Osnabrück, Stadtbus Goslar, Üstra Hannover and Wolfsburger Verkehrsgesellschaft are to strike; in Bremen, employees of Bremer Straßenbahn AG will down their tools. A central rally is planned in Hanover on Friday.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Verdi hasn't yet confirmed if the northeastern state would see a strike on Friday, and said it could occur on Saturday or Sunday instead.
The union intends to announce on Tuesday afternoon when, how and where it will call on its members to strike.
Hesse
The cities of Kassel, Wiesbaden, Frankfurt and Offenbach are mainly affected, according to Verdi Hessen. Drivers of publically-operated buses, as well as U-Bahn trains and trams, have been called to strike.
North Rhine-Westphalia
According to Verdi, the strike will affect Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft, Rheinbahn (Düsseldorf), WSW mobil (Wuppertal), Stadtwerke Solingen GmbH (Solingen), Stadtwerke Remscheid GmbH (Remscheid), Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (Cologne), Stadtwerke Bonn GmbH (SWB), Ruhrbahn (Essen) and Stadtwerke Münster (Münster), among others.
The all-day warning strikes are expected to begin on Friday morning. In addition to commuters, pupils who usually travel to their schools by public transport will also be affected. The NRW Ministry of Education pointed out that school attendance is still compulsory.
The drivers association ADAC Nordrhein advised commuters to use bicycles where possible or to form car pools if they have to use their cars. An increased risk of traffic jams is to be expected in large cities and on the Autobahn, meaning employees should work from home if they can.
READ ALSO: Can workers in Germany stay home during transport strikes?
Rhineland-Palatinate
Strikes will affect all operations and locations of KRN-Kommunalverkehr Rhein-Nahe GmbH, Mainzer Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (Mainz), Stadtwerke Pirmasens Verkehrs-GmbH, SWK Stadtwerke Kaiserslautern Verkehrs-AG and SWT AöR (Trier).
A central strike rally is to take place on Friday from 11:00 am on the Theodor-Heuss Bridge between Mainz and Wiesbaden. Strikers from Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate as well as Baden-Württemberg and Saarland will all gather there.
Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia
In Saxony, Verdi is calling on employees of municipal transport companies in Chemnitz, Dresden, Leipzig, Plauen and Zwickau to go on an all-day warning strike on Friday.
In Saxony-Anhalt, the municipal transport companies in Dessau, Halle, Magdeburg and the Burgenland district will also join the action.
In Thuringia, the municipal transport companies in Erfurt, Gera, Jena, Mühlhausen, Nordhausen, Sondershausen, Suhl/Zella-Mehlis, Weimar, the district of Weimarer Land and the Saale-Holzland district of Münster are affected.
Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg
In Hamburg, more than 2,000 employees of Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein VHH are to strike all day. This was announced by Irene Hatzidimou, head of Verdi’s Hamburg district, who said that the buses mainly serve the outskirts of Hamburg in Schleswig-Holstein and the outskirts of the city, but also travel into the city center.
The Hamburger Hochbahn will also also take part in the warning strike, meaning that busses and the U-Bahn are expected to come to a stillstand.
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