German railway Deutsche Bahn prepares for six-day drivers' strike

German national railway Deutsche Bahn and millions of passengers across the country are bracing for the start of a six-day strike by the train drivers' union GDL.

The strike is scheduled to begin in the early hours of Wednesday morning and is expected to cause massive disruptions to train service throughout the country.

Deutsche Bahn on Tuesday began publishing very limited emergency timetables of trains that will still run despite the strike by the GDL trade union.

The strike on passenger rail is expected to last until Monday. In freight service, the strike will begin hours earlier on Tuesday evening.

During previous strikes, about 80% of all long-distance trains were cancelled. Deutsche Bahn is also expecting considerable cancellations and delay in regional train service over the next few days, although the extent of these will vary from region to region.

Deutsche Bahn-operated urban commuter rail lines, branded as "S-Bahn" in Germany, will also be affected by the strike. The work stoppage also affects regional trains, though the rail operator said some areas may be more affected than others.

Deutsche Bahn and the GDL trade union have been locked in bitter collective bargaining talks for months, with the union demanding that the railway cut standard working hours in addition to offering raises.

The strike is the fourth by the union in recent months, but is expected to be the longest by far.