Public transport strikes, led by the Verdi labour union, were taking place in various cities around Germany this week, with passengers in Hamburg facing serious disruptions in bus and subway services from Tuesday to Thursday.
Hamburg's Hochbahn services, including the city's U-bahn lines and bus routes south of the Elbe, were all disrupted as of Wednesday morning. The buses of the Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH) in the east of Hamburg were also affected.
The strike was set to end at 3 am on Thursday morning.
READ ALSO: Where strikes will hit drivers and commuters across Germany this week
Which services are affected?
According to Hochbahn, all of Hamburg's U-bahn traffic is cancelled on Wednesday.
"No trains are running on the U1, U2, U3 and U4 lines today," read an announcement on the Hochbahn website.
Additionally the following bus lines will not run until 3 am on Thursday morning: 13, 40, 42, 140, 141, 143, 145, 146, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 156, 157, 241, 245, 250, 251, 254, 340, 345, 349, 350, 351, 354, 355, 443, 450, 451, 543, 640, 641, X40, X46.
Local media outlet NDR summed it up by writing that Hochbahn buses "south of the Elbe" are cancelled.
Additionally a large number of VHH buses are restricted, especially in the east of Hamburg and the Schleswig-Holstein districts of Lauenburg and Stormarn.
Verdi had previously announced that the Bergedorf, Rahlstedt, Glinde, Billbrook, Geesthacht and Lauenburg depots would be affected by the strike. Drivers who are not striking will be distributed mainly on the bus routes that serve schools.
The following VHH buses are affected on Wednesday: X3, X30, X21, X32, X33, X80, X81, X82, 2, 3, 29, 32, 119, 120, 122, 124, 127, 130, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 230, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 256, 320, 321, 322, 325, 327, 328, 329, 330, 332, 333, 335, 336, 337, 338,339, 362, 422, 424, 427, 428, 430, 432, 433, 436, 437, 438, 439, 462, 524, 527, 530, 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 539, 562, 576, 609, 610, 619, 629, 729, 733, 735, 736, 737, 776, 4400, 4402, 8108, 8521, 8522, 8524, 8526, 8800, 8862, 8882, 8884, 8890, 8891, 8892, 8893, 8894, 8895, 8896, 8897.
Which services are not affected?
Commuters and transport passengers who need to get around Hamburg on Wednesday do have a few remaining options.
S-bahn trains are not affected by the strike, and can be expected to run as usual.
HADAG ferries on the Elbe also remain in operation.
Just a few Hochbahn bus lines remain in operation with limited service, including the 43, 155 and 554.
Hochbahn has also said that it will see if further basic services can be maintained. Passengers relying on Hochbahn services are advised to check the hvv app or website for further information.
Alternative transport
For shorter commutes, that are perhaps just a bit too far to walk, you can consider e-scooter, bike and ride share services.
Hamburg's StadtRAD bike share services as well as Deutsche Bahn's Call a Bike (where available) are, of course, not affected by public transport strikes.
In addition to calling a taxi, you could also try ride share services like Bolt, Uber, or similar taxi apps. Or, in some cases, it may make sense to use car share apps like Miles and Sixt share.
Just make sure that you're good to go on your app of choice before you're on the way somewhere, lest you get caught in the stressful situation of trying to register and verify yourself on the side of a street whilst already running late.
If you're driving today, be aware that there may be more traffic that usual in and around the city, so you may want to plan a bit of extra time for your journey.
Students and employees still expected at school and work
Pupils and professionals still need to go to school and work on Wednesday despite the strike.
"This time, too, compulsory attendance will remain in place," a spokeswoman for the school authority told NDR.
Missing school days in Germany is only legally permitted in specific situations, and usually only with advanced agreement from teachers. Children may be excused from coming to school if their route to school is unreachable or unreasonable. But in the case of a public transport strike, parents would usually be expected to find a way to ensure they can get to school.
Similarly, employees are expected to find their way to work on time.
Q&A: What are the rules in Germany for being late to work due to strikes?
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