Germany’s winter of transport unrest is set to continue after the railway union **EVG** called a short, sharp warning strike for Monday, 3 February. The walk-out, scheduled from 07:00 to 09:30, targets infrastructure operator **Regio Infra Nord-Ost (RIN)** but is expected to ripple across the network because RIN tracks are shared by Deutsche Bahn (DB) and several private operators.
Lines likely to face delays or cancellations include the **Prignitz-Express (RE 6)** between Berlin-Gesundbrunnen and Wittenberge, ODEG’s **RB 15** on the Lake District corridor around Waren (Müritz) as well as regional routes **RB 16, 73, 74** and **54** that feed vital commuter flows into the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte. Although the action lasts only 150 minutes, its timing during the morning peak—and amid school holidays in Brandenburg—means cascading disruptions could snarl connections for much of the day.
![Rail Warning Strike Announced for 3 February Threatens Regional Links in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]()
The dispute centres on EVG’s demand for a 5 % pay rise plus €150 more for apprentices, higher unsocial-hours premiums and shorter standby rosters. RIN insists it has tabled four offers and labels the stoppage “unverhältnismäßig,” pointing to the region’s ongoing ice- and snow-related service challenges. For mobility managers the walk-out is yet another variable in an already volatile landscape: Ver.di has separately called strikes in municipal bus and tram networks on the same day, raising the prospect of door-to-door journey failures.
Practical steps recommended by relocation providers and travel-management companies include: booking flex-price ICE tickets that allow routing via unaffected main-line corridors; advising assignees to switch to company car-sharing pools where possible; and activating emergency accommodation budgets for employees stranded away from home. Firms with “critical infrastructure” status—such as pharmaceutical plants in the Prignitz region—are urged to arrange shuttle buses under the federal Ersatzverkehre exemption.
Longer term, the clash is a reminder that Germany’s decentralised rail market can amplify local strikes into nationwide headaches. With formal wage peace expiring for several DB subsidiaries at the end of February, HR departments should stress-test contingency plans for more severe stoppages in the weeks ahead.
Lines likely to face delays or cancellations include the **Prignitz-Express (RE 6)** between Berlin-Gesundbrunnen and Wittenberge, ODEG’s **RB 15** on the Lake District corridor around Waren (Müritz) as well as regional routes **RB 16, 73, 74** and **54** that feed vital commuter flows into the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte. Although the action lasts only 150 minutes, its timing during the morning peak—and amid school holidays in Brandenburg—means cascading disruptions could snarl connections for much of the day.
The dispute centres on EVG’s demand for a 5 % pay rise plus €150 more for apprentices, higher unsocial-hours premiums and shorter standby rosters. RIN insists it has tabled four offers and labels the stoppage “unverhältnismäßig,” pointing to the region’s ongoing ice- and snow-related service challenges. For mobility managers the walk-out is yet another variable in an already volatile landscape: Ver.di has separately called strikes in municipal bus and tram networks on the same day, raising the prospect of door-to-door journey failures.
Practical steps recommended by relocation providers and travel-management companies include: booking flex-price ICE tickets that allow routing via unaffected main-line corridors; advising assignees to switch to company car-sharing pools where possible; and activating emergency accommodation budgets for employees stranded away from home. Firms with “critical infrastructure” status—such as pharmaceutical plants in the Prignitz region—are urged to arrange shuttle buses under the federal Ersatzverkehre exemption.
Longer term, the clash is a reminder that Germany’s decentralised rail market can amplify local strikes into nationwide headaches. With formal wage peace expiring for several DB subsidiaries at the end of February, HR departments should stress-test contingency plans for more severe stoppages in the weeks ahead.
Source: dpa via ZEIT Online (Bahnverkehr: Warnstreik bei Bahngewerkschaft – Folgen für Regionalverkehr)
