Commuters caught up in the German train dispute are irritated by the disruption and have little sympathy for either side. One man in Cologne said: “If I am one of the travellers concerned, which I’m about to find out, I won’t like it. I feel the drivers’ demands are over the top.”
Strike-hit German commuters fed up with both sides
A lady in Frankfurt said: “I’m Austrian, and I don’t understand why this has dragged on for so long. It should be possible to find an agreement. This has been going on for weeks, and will continue to drag on. I think the politicians should step in.”
Also in Frankfurt, commuter Miguel Fernandez said: “I can understand it, but I think it is silly to carry out this whole thing on the backs of others, especially when it is this extreme and this drawn-out. I really find it annoying that Deutsche Bahn hasn’t done something about it. The emergency timetables are wrong, the trains arriving aren’t displayed properly. I’m quite disappointed with Deutsche Bahn, I have to say.”
It is not just affecting commuters. Businesses, especially those who carry limited stock, are also hurting. Car-maker Audi has laid-off one shift due to lack of parts.