Cologne Public Transport: Strikes & Disruptions – March 25th Update

Commuters in Cologne faced significant disruptions Monday as a strike by the Verdi union impacted bus and rail services across the city and surrounding region. The operate stoppage, affecting multiple transit operators in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), centered on demands for improved working conditions for approximately 30,000 employees in roughly 30 transit companies.

The KVB (Cologne Transport Authority) reported widespread cancellations and reduced service on numerous lines. According to the KVB, lines 120, 122, 127, 136, 145, 151, 152, 155, and 157 operated on a limited schedule, while lines 121, 124, 125, 126, 133, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 147, 148, 149, 150, 153, 159, 171, 179, and 196 were suspended entirely. The KVB advised passengers to check their connections before traveling and suggested using the journey planner, entering their destination address instead of a specific stop to view alternative routes.

While the bus network bore the brunt of the disruption, the KVB acknowledged “isolated” strikes impacting city rail (Stadtbahn) operations. Passengers holding valid tickets were permitted to leverage trains operated by Deutsche Bahn, Mittelrheinbahn, and other railway companies within the ticket’s validity area, as these services were unaffected by the strike.

The Verdi union initiated the strike action in 19 NRW transit companies, including those in Wuppertal, Mönchengladbach, Krefeld, Castrop-Rauxel, Herne, Bottrop, Oberhausen, Dortmund, and Bielefeld, according to a Verdi spokesperson. The strike coincides with the approach of the third round of negotiations in the ongoing tariff dispute.

Cologne’s Mayor, Torsten Burmester, publicly attributed the disruptions to Verdi’s actions, stating that the strike was the “cause for the failure of further parts of our public transport,” according to the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. However, Burmester too acknowledged the legitimacy of the union’s demands and the importance of the right to strike, while urging Verdi to exercise “responsibility and moderation.”

The KVB has stated that the strikes are expected to continue through Saturday, but no further warning strikes are currently planned during the upcoming negotiation period, which begins Tuesday, March 24th.

Adding to the transportation challenges in the Cologne area, ongoing construction and closures on rail lines are causing further disruptions. The Cologne–Wuppertal–Hagen line remains closed until July, and construction between Cologne and Bergisch-Gladbach has prompted the implementation of replacement bus services, impacting approximately 15,000 commuters on the S11 line. A separate construction project on the Cologne-Mülheim to Leverkusen Mitte line is expected to cause disruptions until Tuesday morning.