Delay warning! German railway strikes again

The strike started at 5 pm on September 1 and ended at 2 am on September 7. The first to be affected were freight trains, and the scope of the strike will be expanded to passenger trains from September 2. This is the third strike after two rounds of strikes in early August, and it is also the longest round of strikes.

The two previous strikes have paralyzed most of the traffic, and the impact of the epidemic has exacerbated the tension in the local supply chain. This time the strike will last longer, and more goods will be affected. It is reported that during this strike, only about a quarter of the trains will be able to provide long-distance transportation as planned.

The reason for the strike was the salary issue. The train drivers' union said the move was to fight for more reasonable pay, demanding a 1.4% salary increase and a bonus of 600 euros in 2021, and hoping for a further salary increase of 1.8% in 2022.

During the strike , Berlin's S-Bahn trains will only operate partial services, and regional trains to Cottbus, Eberswalde, Dessau and Stralsund will be severely affected . The northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is also a key affected area .

Following the announcement of the strike, local authorities warned of nationwide service disruptions , including city trains, regional trains, long-distance trains and cross-border services , covering Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic . No trains will run between Germany and Poland, while trains to cities such as Paris, Budapest, Prague and Zurich will also be affected.

In western Germany, several kilometers of railway tracks destroyed by floods in July are still being repaired. Coupled with this strike, most cargo across Germany will experience some degree of delay.

In addition, the railway department also announced a few days ago that due to railway maintenance, bad weather and the impact of the epidemic, the container storage at major European terminals has reached its upper limit, and there will be large-scale delays for China-Europe trains, and serious delays will take several weeks to alleviate.

Sea transportation is congested and rail transportation is also bumpy. Sellers should always pay attention to the latest logistics status and be prepared for delays.

Germany

railway

Delays