Deutsches Eck: How German strikes could disrupt Austrian trains this summer
Many Austrian trains pass through the 'German Corner' on their way to other destinations within Austria. Here’s what that could mean for Austrian train travel this summer.
If you’re planning a train journey across Austria this summer and your route takes you through Innsbruck in Tyrol on your way to or from Salzburg, Linz, or Vienna – you’re probably taking a short trip through southeastern Germany.
That’s because a section of Austrian state rail company ÖBB’s infrastructure passes through Germany around the Bavarian city of Rosenheim, allowing a cross-country journey from the Tyrolean capital to Vienna in around four hours.
But German state rail Deutsche Bahn’s recent disputes with the EVG union representing DB workers could threaten those links between Innsbruck and much of the rest of Austria, if DB signal workers working to keep ÖBB’s so-called Deutsches Eck running go on strike.
What’s going on in the German labour dispute?
Germany’s EVG union representing train workers and DB have had months of acrimonious talks over pay rises to help employees adjust to rising cost of living. EVG is demanding increases of around 12 percent, or at least an additional €650 a month, to worker salaries due to inflation.
Despite several warning strikes already which have shut down DB services around Germany – as well as ÖBB’s Deutsches Eck – no deal has been forthcoming.
DB has now called for an official arbitration process to bring the dispute to an end.
EVG hasn’t responded to say whether it agrees to the process yet and is meeting Thursday to decide whether it will strike on Tuesday.
Last week, EVG already announced it would take a vote among its 110,000 members in Germany about whether to go on prolonged strikes that could last days or even weeks at a time through the summer travel period.
READ ALSO: How Europe’s strikes will affect people in Austria this summer
How would Austrian rail company ÖBB deal with a strike shutting down Deutsches Eck?
Any strikes in Germany are likely to mean big disruptions for people travelling between Salzburg and Kufstein in western Austria – a route that is also necessary for many direct trains, such as the Westbahn, that travel between Vienna and Linz onward to Innsbruck.
READ ALSO: What are your rights if your trip is delayed or cancelled in Austria?
Strikes in Germany are typically announced a few days beforehand, and previous German strikes have made travel through Deutsches Eck impossible, leading Austrian state railway ÖBB to set up replacement shuttle services between Salzburg and Kufstein.
ÖBB has previously warned that while using the shuttles to go around Deutsches Eck means travel between Salzburg and Kufstein is still possible during German rail strikes, it can lengthen the trip by several hours and involve changes in either Salzburg, Kufstein, or both.
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If you’re planning a train journey across Austria this summer and your route takes you through Innsbruck in Tyrol on your way to or from Salzburg, Linz, or Vienna – you’re probably taking a short trip through southeastern Germany.
That’s because a section of Austrian state rail company ÖBB’s infrastructure passes through Germany around the Bavarian city of Rosenheim, allowing a cross-country journey from the Tyrolean capital to Vienna in around four hours.
But German state rail Deutsche Bahn’s recent disputes with the EVG union representing DB workers could threaten those links between Innsbruck and much of the rest of Austria, if DB signal workers working to keep ÖBB’s so-called Deutsches Eck running go on strike.
What’s going on in the German labour dispute?
Germany’s EVG union representing train workers and DB have had months of acrimonious talks over pay rises to help employees adjust to rising cost of living. EVG is demanding increases of around 12 percent, or at least an additional €650 a month, to worker salaries due to inflation.
Despite several warning strikes already which have shut down DB services around Germany – as well as ÖBB’s Deutsches Eck – no deal has been forthcoming.
DB has now called for an official arbitration process to bring the dispute to an end.
EVG hasn’t responded to say whether it agrees to the process yet and is meeting Thursday to decide whether it will strike on Tuesday.
Last week, EVG already announced it would take a vote among its 110,000 members in Germany about whether to go on prolonged strikes that could last days or even weeks at a time through the summer travel period.
READ ALSO: How Europe’s strikes will affect people in Austria this summer
How would Austrian rail company ÖBB deal with a strike shutting down Deutsches Eck?
Any strikes in Germany are likely to mean big disruptions for people travelling between Salzburg and Kufstein in western Austria – a route that is also necessary for many direct trains, such as the Westbahn, that travel between Vienna and Linz onward to Innsbruck.
READ ALSO: What are your rights if your trip is delayed or cancelled in Austria?
Strikes in Germany are typically announced a few days beforehand, and previous German strikes have made travel through Deutsches Eck impossible, leading Austrian state railway ÖBB to set up replacement shuttle services between Salzburg and Kufstein.
ÖBB has previously warned that while using the shuttles to go around Deutsches Eck means travel between Salzburg and Kufstein is still possible during German rail strikes, it can lengthen the trip by several hours and involve changes in either Salzburg, Kufstein, or both.
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