The sale of DB Schenker, Deutsche Bahn’s logistics arm, might have found its suitor. Danish shipping giant DSV signed an agreement with two investment banks to gather enough funds to conclude the purchase. On the other hand, DHL officially withdrew from the race. DSV is cooperating with French BNP Paribas and the British-Chinese credit institution […]
Category: Deutsche Bahn
More GDL strikes will come, but no date has been set yet
A solution to the dispute between Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the German Union of Train Drivers (GDL) still seems unattainable after roughly five months of negotiations. Another round of strikes is in the books, but more are on the horizon, as GDL’s boss Claus Weselsky pointed out. During a video interview with German media outlet […]
GDL calls for 35-hour strike to get 35-hour working week
The German Union of Locomotive Drivers (GDL) called for a 35-hour strike in protest of the ongoing negotiations with Deutsche Bahn for a new collective bargaining agreement. For the rail freight industry, the initiative will start on Wednesday, 6 March at 6 pm and last until Friday, 8 March at 5 am. The choice of […]
DB vs GDL: negotiations failed, new strikes on the horizon?
The negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the German Union of Locomotive Drivers (GDL) seems to have taken another wrong turn. GDL accused DB of leaking confidential information to German media. On the other hand, the German company is saying that the union is “letting the negotiations collapse”. […]
‘Dark clouds’ gather over German rail renovation plan
German rail freight association Die Güterbahnen sees ‘dark clouds’ in the rail renovation plan proposed by DB and the federal government. The association identifies a number of issues in the June 2022 plan that it expects to hinder rail traffic disproportionately. The renovation plan aims to renovate 40 rail corridors that total over 4,000 kilometres […]
Recovery and stagnation: German rail survey reveals mixed results
The German rail sector fully recovered from the pandemic in 2022. According to an annual German market survey, German rail freight exceeded its pre-pandemic performance levels by 10 per cent. However, performance also stagnated in the second half of the year. According to an annual survey by the Bundesnetzagentur on the performance of the rail […]
GDL sends proposal to DB to end strike and resume negotiations
After launching a seven-day strike that might paralyze the transport sector in Germany, trade union GDL drafted a proposal for Deutsche Bahn (DB). If accepted, the union said it “will result in the suspension of strikes and the resumption of collective bargaining”. The union just rejected the third offer brought forward by DB, claiming that […]
Another strike to start tomorrow in Germany, this time for a whole week
Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) employees affiliated with the German Train Drivers’ trade union (GDL) are about to go on strike until Monday, 29 January at 6 pm. DB Cargo’s workers will start on Tuesday 23 January at 6 pm, while for infrastructure workers the initiative will begin on Wednesday 24 January at 2 am, as GDL […]
Dozens of parties reportedly interested in buying DB Schenker
Roughly 25 parties have submitted their names for the takeover of DB Schenker to the international banking consortium that is supervising the sale of the German forwarder. The names include the usual suspects such as the Danish DSV and the German DHL, but the majority are still unknown. Specialists close to the sales process announced […]
GDL strike confirmed as valid, what will it mean for rail freight?
The transport sector in Germany is currently facing disruptions as locomotive drivers affiliated with the GDL union are on strike between 9-12 January. Deutsche Bahn (DB) has appealed against this decision without any luck, as the Hessian State Labour Court confirmed that the union’s actions are not prohibited. RailFreight.com reached out to various companies in […]