German railway Deutsche Bahn says limited strike service is reliable

German state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn's limited emergency timetable of trains during the ongoing six-day strike against the railway has remained stable, according to the company.

The strike by the train drivers' union GDL has caused massive disruptions to passenger and freight rail services throughout Germany, with the majority of trains cancelled.

The trade union has announced that the strike will continue until Monday at 6 pm (1700 GMT). The strike is the fourth, and longest, in a bitter ongoing collective bargaining dispute between the GDL trade union and Deutsche Bahn.

Deutsche Bahn, however, has organized a limited timetable of trains that are still running despite the labour dispute.

"The trains are running and you can still travel during the strike," Deutsche Bahn board member Stefanie Berk said on Thursday in Frankfurt.

Around 20% of regularly scheduled long-distance trains are available, Berk said.

She said the service is running reliably. She urged travellers to check their train connections in advance online and to reserve a seat, as capacity is limited.

"Our trains were very stable yesterday ... and that is also our plan for the next few days," said Berk.

The railway is operating longer trains with more carriages than usual in order to squeeze more passengers onto each train. That is particularly true on the important north-south rail corridors, which are particularly busy and in-demand with travellers.

The aim is to be able to offer the full timetable again on Tuesday, immediately after the end of the strike, Berk said.