Trains, trams and buses face disruption across Germany as 48-hour strikes begin on Friday

Travellers should prepare for severe disruption to public transport services across Germany starting on Friday.

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Workers in the sector have announced a 48-hour strike as discussions over salaries and conditions stall, a union said.

The two-day walkout is expected to plunge travel into chaos, affecting millions of passengers.

Trains, trams and buses face disruption

The industrial action will affect local buses, trams and trains (U-Bahn) in towns and cities across Germany – including major centres like Berlin and Hamburg.

The disruption will begin early in the morning on Friday 27 February and is expected to continue into Saturday 28 February in several places, too.

Nationwide railway – S-Bahn, regional trains, and long-distance DB trains (ICE, IC) – air and road services are set to operate as normal, although travellers should prepare for potential ripple-effect disruption.

The strike was called by the Verdi union, which represents about 100,000 workers employed across 150 transport companies, to help push through annual negotiations.

In early February, a similar walkout crippled public transport across the country.

“Our colleagues urgently need relief – and employers need a clear signal that we are determined to fight for our demands,” Verdi Deputy Chair Christine Behle said in a statement.

“Employers still don’t seem to understand that public transport services cannot continue to function in the long term if we don’t make decisive improvements to working conditions now.”