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An empty train station in Bavaria: The train drivers are supposed to return to work early

Photo:

Michael Bihlmayer / IMAGO

The current strike by the train drivers' union GDL will not end on Monday evening, but on Sunday. The union and Deutsche Bahn have agreed on this. From Monday, February 5th, a solution to the collective bargaining dispute will be negotiated in Berlin. SPIEGEL learned this from informed circles.

Freight traffic should therefore only be on strike until Sunday at 6 p.m., and passenger traffic only until Monday night at 2 a.m. Originally, all strikes were not supposed to end until Monday at 6 p.m.

The railway announced on Saturday afternoon that there could still be restrictions in regional and long-distance transport on Monday. Long-distance tickets for Monday therefore remain valid. According to Deutsche Bahn, anyone who wants to postpone their trip planned for the original strike period until Monday evening can also “use the ticket at a later date”.

GDL and Bahn have set themselves the goal of reaching an agreement in the collective bargaining dispute by March 3rd. A peace obligation should apply during this period, which means that no further strikes are to be expected initially.

According to SPIEGEL information, both parties had previously met in a hotel in Dresden on Friday - they talked between twelve noon and 2:30 a.m. on Saturday night. On Friday, SPIEGEL reported that GDL boss Claus Weselsky and his deputy Mario Reiß would go to a secret location to talk to railway representatives.

The negotiation period can be extended by individual days

The German Locomotive Drivers' Union (GDL) has been on strike on freight traffic since Tuesday evening and Deutsche Bahn's passenger traffic since Wednesday morning. The central point of contention is the union's demand to reduce weekly working hours from 38 to 35 hours from 2028 with full wage compensation.

During the course of the conflict, the company offered to expand existing working time models. Up to now, employees can decide whether they want more money, more vacation or fewer working days per week. A week ago on Friday, Deutsche Bahn presented its current offer: the choice to work one hour less at full pay from January 1, 2026 - then 37 hours. Anyone who decides against the reduction will receive 2.7 percent more money. In total, the employees in this case received almost 13 percent more pay from January 1, 2026 than currently.

According to SPIEGEL information, all points of contention will now be brought to the table in the coming talks: This also includes models for reducing working hours and special payments to compensate for inflation. Bahn and GDL are open to extending the negotiation period by individual days if this becomes necessary.

The company has already promised to pay an inflation compensation bonus required by the train drivers. Even before a possible final agreement is concluded between the train drivers' union GDL and the railway, railway employees will receive a bonus of 1,500 euros in March, and trainees will receive half.

Editor's note: An earlier version stated that GDL and Bahn wanted to negotiate from Monday, January 29th. In fact, it is Monday, February 5th. We have corrected the places.

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