Berlin, February 27, 2026 – The Europe Today: Public transportation services across Germany were heavily disrupted on Friday as thousands of transit workers began a 48-hour strike, significantly affecting commuters in major urban centers.
Subways, trams, and buses either suspended operations or operated on limited emergency schedules starting at 3 a.m. (0200 GMT) Friday. Normal services are expected to resume at 3 a.m. Sunday.
The morning rush hour experienced the most severe disruptions in cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Munich, where many bus, subway, and tram services were largely canceled.
The strike was organized by Ver.di, one of Germany’s largest labor unions, representing approximately 100,000 transportation employees. The union is currently engaged in negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement.
Ver.di is demanding reduced weekly working hours, shorter shifts, extended rest periods between shifts, and increased pay rates for night and weekend work.
The industrial action does not affect services operated by Deutsche Bahn. Regional and long-distance trains, along with some S-Bahn suburban rail services, continue to operate as scheduled.
