In the second wave, too, the nationwide strike by the Union of German Locomotive Drivers (GDL) led to numerous train cancellations in Hesse. Deutsche Bahn has again created a replacement timetable, which, according to a company spokeswoman, was reliably run on Monday. There is an offer on every line, although the regional trains and S-Bahn trains are much less frequent than on normal traffic days. It is assumed that around 40 percent of the usual offer in Hesse will be available on the rails, said the Bahn AG. The passengers would have prepared themselves well for the strike announced on Friday.

On the night of Monday, the GDL started its second wave of strikes for passenger traffic, which should last until Wednesday at 2 a.m.

Freight traffic has been on strike since Saturday.

The rail spokeswoman said that the same replacement schedule would be offered on Tuesday as on Monday.

On Wednesday, the state company wants to return to the usual schedule.

Passengers are asked to find out about their connection in the electronic rail media before starting their journey.

“Despite the reliable basic offer, DB cannot guarantee that all travelers will get to their destination as desired,” the group headquarters in Berlin announced.

Only one S-Bahn every hour

Many regional trains as well as S-Bahn traffic in the Rhine-Main area were badly affected on Monday.

Most lines in the area of ​​the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) only run every 60 minutes, often on shortened sections.

According to Deutsche Bahn, there are no trains at all on the S7 and S9 lines.

Alternatively, regional trains ran here that stopped at every station.

The Frankfurter Verkehrsgesellschaft had announced that it would expand the capacity of the underground trains in Frankfurt.

On the other hand, buses and railway lines that are operated by private railway companies, such as the Hessische Landesbahn, Vias or Vlexx, are not affected by the strike.

Nationwide, Deutsche Bahn has canceled 75 percent of its long-distance trains and is also expecting around 60 percent cancellations and delays in regional traffic.

The wage dispute is, among other things, about more money for employees.

Both sides agree on the level of future wages and salaries: there should be 3.2 percent more.

But there is disagreement about the timing of the payout.

There are also unanswered questions about the company pension, the amount of a possible corona premium for employees and the GDL's sphere of influence.

An attempt by Deutsche Bahn to avert the strike with another tariff proposal had failed.

The group held out the prospect of negotiations on the corona premium, among other things.

On Sunday, union leader Claus Weselsky rejected the offer and continued the strike.

Weselsky said again that an improved offer from Deutsche Bahn was a prerequisite for further negotiations.

Last but not least, the trade union is also concerned with its own influence in the group, which it sees as endangered by the so-called collective bargaining law. The law provides that in a company with two competing trade unions, only the collective agreements of the employee representatives with a larger number of members apply. In the case of Deutsche Bahn companies, this has so far mostly been the larger railway and transport union (EVG).