Host Nation Update, Jan. 23, 2024
Six-day rail strike – These routes in Baden-Württemberg are affected
The train conductors’ union GDL has announced a six-day strike. From Wednesday (January 24) until Monday evening (January 29), the conductors will go on strike. This means that almost all suburban trains around Stuttgart are likely to come to a standstill. Regional trains will also be affected, as announced by the Stuttgart Transport and Tariff Association (VVS) on its website.
In addition to long-distance services, all S-Bahn lines (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6/S60, S62) and the following Deutsche Bahn regional trains:
RE5 (Friedrichshafen – Stuttgart)
IRE6 (Aulendorf – Tübingen – Stuttgart)
RB14 (Rottweil/Freudenstadt – Stuttgart)
MEX19/90 (Schwäbisch Hall – Hessental – Stuttgart)
IRE3: Ulm – Lindau / Friedrichshafen – Basel Bad Bf (Between Ulm and Biberach also use the RS21 trains. Individual train connections)
IRE6: Stuttgart – Tübingen – Aulendorf /Rottenburg (no train service between Stuttgart and Sigmaringen; use SWEG trains, individual train connections Sigmaringen and Aulendorf and 2-hourly RB 74 Tübingen and Rottenburg)
IRE50: Aalen – Ulm (no emergency program)
IRE200: Wendlingen – Ulm (every 2 hours)
RE2: Karlsruhe – Constance (individual train connections)
RE4: Stuttgart – Constance (no emergency program)
RE5: Stuttgart – Friedrichshafen (individual train connections between Stuttgart and Ulm. If possible, also use “Go-Ahead GmbH” trains. Also use RS21 trains between Ulm and Biberach).
RE7: Karlsruhe – Basel (individual train connections, also use trains on the RE2, RB26 and RB2 lines).
RE14a/b: Stuttgart – Böblingen (every 2 hours)
RE55: Donaueschingen – Ulm (individual train connections)
MEX 19/90: Stuttgart – Schwäbisch Hall-Hessental – Crailsheim (every 2 hours Stuttgart-Schwäbisch Hall-Hessental,)
RB26: Offenburg – Freiburg(Breisgau) (every 3 hours)
RB27: Freiburg(Breisgau) – Basel Bad Bf /Neuenburg(Baden) (every 3 hours Freiburg and Basel, no emergency program Müllheim (Baden) and Neuenburg (Baden))
RB28: Müllheim(Baden) – Mulhouse Ville (no emergency program)
RB30: Basel Bad Bf – Lauchringen (every 3 hours)
RB31: Radolfzell – Friedrichshafen (every hour)
RB37: Waldshut – Stühlingen (no emergency program)
RB42: Donaueschingen – Triberg/Rottweil (no emergency program, use RE2 and SWEG trains)
RB53: Aulendorf – Leutkirch /Wangen(Allgäu) (individual train connections)
What happens to the ticket I booked?
According to DB, anyone who has booked a ticket for this period has the following options:
You can postpone your trip and use your ticket at a later date. The train connection is canceled. The ticket is valid for the trip to the original destination, even if the route is changed. Seat reservations can be canceled free of charge.
You can bring the trip forward and travel as early as January 23.
If you do not wish to travel, you can cancel the trip and receive a full refund for your ticket without any deductions.
How safe is the emergency timetable?
DB Region Baden-Württemberg explains in the press release: “In this situation, the emergency timetables may still be subject to changes and train cancellations at short notice.” (SN Jan 23, 2024)
GDL train conductors’ strike- Here’s the emergency timetable for Stuttgart and region
The strike by the conductors union GDL in the wage dispute is entering the next round. Deutsche Bahn employees have been called to strike again from 2 a.m. this Wednesday morning until 6 p.m. next Monday. Deutsche Bahn is expecting massive disruptions to long-distance, regional and S-Bahn services in the Stuttgart region.
In the state capital, the tunnel on the main line between the Schwabstraße stop and Stuttgart-Vaihingen will also be closed until the end of January for the expansion of the Stuttgart Digital Node (DKS). Replacement buses will be running. As an emergency timetable, the S 1, the busiest S-Bahn line, will run every one hour. It will run between Kirchheim/Teck and Schwabstraße due to the tunnel closure. In the other direction, the replacement line S 60 will run between Schwabstraße and Böblingen/Ehningen. All other S-Bahn Stuttgart lines are canceled. Individual regional trains are in operation. Only the Regional Express between the main station and Böblingen will run unchanged between 5.30 am and 10.30 pm. Long-distance services will also be largely unaffected.
Only the S 1 and S 60 will run every hour. (SN Jan 23, 2024)
Weather in Baden-Württemberg – Mild days in the southwest – Up to 15 degrees expected on Wednesday
After wintry days, temperatures in Baden-Württemberg are rising again this week. The German Weather Service (DWD) is expecting up to 15 degrees on Wednesday. That would be unusually mild for January, said a spokesman.
It is expected to be between 3 degrees in the mountains and 10 degrees in the valley on Tuesday. According to the DWD, while it may still rain sporadically in the first half of the day, it should remain dry in the afternoon. It will also be sunny at times, it said. The expert expects stormy gusts at high altitudes.
Some rain is expected to return during the night on Wednesday. But even in the mountains, temperatures will not fall below 0 degrees, according to the DWD. It is expected to remain stormy.
The weather service expects temperatures of up to 15 degrees on the Upper Rhine on Wednesday. The reason for this is very mild Atlantic air, according to the expert. In general, temperatures in Baden-Württemberg are expected to reach double digits on Wednesday. But that doesn’t mean the weather will be friendly. In addition to little sunshine, there will be squalls down to low altitudes. The DWD is also expecting widespread showers. Temperatures in Baden-Württemberg are set to remain mild until the weekend. Then the nights will get a little colder again, according to the weather service. “Wintry days are no longer in sight for the time being,” said the expert. There should be no more snow or cold in the lowlands until mid-February. (SN Jan 23, 2024)