German strikes: “Commuters were well prepared”

Numerous reports of traffic jams on the radio, overcrowded streets, sluggish morning traffic: It was a Monday morning when everything came together – according to Asfinag spokesman Christoph Pollinger. “Many have switched to the car because of the strikes in Germany. Add to that the bad weather and it was the beginning of the week.”

No wonder that yesterday morning there was a standstill on many of the main connections, for example on the way via the Deutsches Eck. At midnight, Germany’s Verdi union and the railway and transport union began a 24-hour warning strike to increase pressure on wage negotiations.

Rail replacement well organized

In rail traffic, many commuters should have informed themselves about the rail replacement service at the weekend. “Of course, there are delays because you travel faster by rail than by road. Even more so in the morning traffic. But the offer was very well received, and there was no chaos at the train stations – one would originally have expected otherwise”says Klaus Baumgartner from ÖBB.

Since Thursday, travelers have been informed about the planned strikes in Germany, “so everyone could react in time. The ÖBB also advised that non-essential journeys should be postponed”says Baumgartner.

In Upper Austria, the route from Schärding to Passau was particularly affected, and replacement buses were also provided for commuters. The Railjet, which represents the long-distance connection from Vorarlberg via Tyrol, further via the Deutsches Eck to Salzburg, Linz and Vienna, was interrupted on the route between Kufstein and Salzburg Hauptbahnhof.

No strike planned for Easter

It wasn’t just rail traffic that had to contend with severe restrictions yesterday. The effects of the strike in Germany were also clearly felt at the Blue Danube Airport in Hörsching. Flights to and from Frankfurt were canceled yesterday, Monday, without replacement.

According to information from Vienna Airport, all flight connections between Vienna and Munich, Frankfurt, Nuremberg and Stuttgart were canceled – a total of 28 outbound and 27 return flights were canceled. It is unclear whether further strike days are to be expected. The after-effects of yesterday’s strike will probably still be felt today.

For all those who have planned a trip over the holidays, there is the all-clear: according to the union, it is not planning any strikes during the Easter period.