Image: APA/FRANZ NEUMAYR
Tomorrow, once again, “nothing will work” in Germany on land, on water and in the air. Three and a half weeks after the first major warning strike, the German railway workers’ union (EVG) has again called for a work stoppage in regional and long-distance transport for Friday between 3 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the wage dispute. At the same time, the verdi union announced strikes at German airports for Thursday and Friday.
The effects will also be noticeable in Austrian rail traffic. At the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), for example, there are timetable changes or long-distance traffic disruptions during the strike period and hours afterwards. The reason is that train traffic can only be slowly restarted after the strike. “Even if the strike affects us on some routes, the effects will not be very different than at the end of March,” says ÖBB spokesman Klaus Baumgartner in the OÖN interview. Railjet express trains to and from Munich start and end in Salzburg. IC and ICE connections to Passau will be shortened to Schärding. Night train connections through Germany are already affected from the night of April 20th to 21st.
According to the federal railways, local transport connections to and from Passau only go as far as Schärding. Between Schärding and Passau there will be a rail replacement service for the 600 to 800 commuters affected. “The departures in the direction of Passau will take place as planned, the return journeys half an hour earlier,” explains Baumgartner. If anything is unclear, Baumgartner recommends travelers to use the ÖBB app.
There are also changes to trains on the Westbahn. The first two connections to Munich will be affected, which according to the company will end in Salzburg. “If the infrastructure goes on strike, we too are affected,” says Westbahn spokeswoman Ines Volpert.
Deutsches Eck also affected
There will also be a standstill on connections via the Deutsches Eck Salzburg and Kufstein. The reason here is not the strike, but construction work. Both ÖBB and Westbahn organize buses to bridge the section. On the Westbahn, seats for rail replacement services must be reserved.
Tickets for canceled train connections booked on the day of the strike can be canceled if the journey is not started. The train connection that applies to “Sparschiene” tickets is canceled on the day of the strike.
If you have any questions, ÖBB customer service is available on +43 (0)51717.
Source: Nachrichten
