A strike by German train drivers on Thursday has led to mass train cancellations across the country, with only 20% of the scheduled services operating.
The German rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, said in an online post that its "emergency timetable has started as planned and is stable."
The effects of the 20-hour strike by the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL), which began late on Wednesday evening, vary from state to state.
"In some regions, no trains are running at all due to the strike participation," the federally owned company continued. In North Rhine Westphalia, individual signal boxes were not manned in the morning - meaning that the strike there also has an impact on other railway companies, as entire sections of track cannot be used without a dispatcher.
A spokesperson for Berlin and Brandenburg announced that replacement buses were being used on individual routes.
"Many passengers have been able to bring forward their planned journey or postpone it to a later date," said the railway company. The consequences for freight transport are also likely to be far-reaching.
The GDL's warning strike, announced on Tuesday, started at 10 pm (2100 GMT) on Wednesday and is set to end at 6 pm (1700 GMT) on Thursday.
This is the GDL's first industrial action in the current wage dispute. It is demanding an increase of €555 ($602) per month and an inflation compensation bonus for a period of 12 months.
As a core demand, it also wants a reduction in working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours per week with full pay compensation. The railway company describes this as not doable.
The next round of negotiations between the two sides had been scheduled for this Thursday and Friday. However, after the strike announcement, Deutsche Bahn pulled out.
"Either you go on strike or you negotiate. You can't do both at the same time," said the company's Chief Human Resources Officer Martin Seiler. "Anyone who breaks these agreements in this form and calls for strikes at short notice ... cannot expect us to continue sitting at the negotiating table."
GDL boss Claus Weselsky said that a brief strike during ongoing negotiations was not unusual. "This is a completely normal process in collective bargaining when employees realize that the other side needs tutoring."
