Rail dispute hits German industry

German industry is already feeling the effects of the rail stoppage. The huge port of Hamburg, Europe’s second biggest, handles tens of thousands of cargo containers each day, destined for clients across Europe. But it may have to shut down by the weekend because trains aren’t moving containers away.

Port Authority spokesman Christiane Kurth says it’s becoming a major problem: “This morning we were already concerned about the movement of containers. It means cancellations and delays. And the situation will get worse. The terminals have cut down the loading onto trains, that means cargo will not move out as scheduled.”

Germany’s luxury car maker Audi is also suffering. Audi was forced to cancel production at it’s Brussels plant, two shifts today, plus tomorrow’s early shift. Car bodies from Slovakia were held up in eastern Germany.

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