Local news translated – Feb 28, 2024

Graphic by U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Public Affairs Office

Host Nation Update, Feb. 28, 2024

Strike at Lufthansa Feb. 28 – March 1

We assume that the three-day strike planned by Verdi for technical staff will not have any major impact on the Lufthansa flight schedule on Wednesday (February 28) and Thursday (February 29). Nevertheless, we ask our passengers to always check the status of their flight on lufthansa.com or in the Lufthansa app.

The effects of the Verdi strike on Friday (March 1) are currently being examined. Any updates on this will be published promptly on lufthansa.com and in the Lufthansa app.

(Translation from Lunftansa.com: Current travel information | Lufthansa, 28 Feb. 2024)

 

Strike in Stuttgart and Esslingen

The trade union ver.di has called on employees in local public transport to take part in a wave strike. In the VVS, the yellow buses and light rail vehicles of Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB) and the buses of Städtischer Verkehrsbetrieb Esslingen (SVE) will be affected from Thursday, February 29, 2024 to Friday, March 1, 2024.

The VVS asks its passengers to be prepared and to inform themselves about alternative connections. S-Bahn trains, regional trains, branch lines, buses in the network districts and Deutsche Bahn replacement buses are not affected by the ver.di trade union’s warning strike. Buses operated by private companies on behalf of SSB on SSB routes will also be running as usual

Note: On Friday, March 1, the construction industry has also called for a rally to Stuttgart. Obstructions in road traffic are to be expected.

The strike affects the city of Stuttgart and Esslingen public transport:

Stuttgart:

  • All light rail vehicles, SSB buses as well as the cable car, rack railroad (Zacke) and SSB Flex vehicles.
  • Night services in Stuttgart: From February 29 to March 1 and from March 1 to 2, 2024, the night buses (lines N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, N7, N8, N9, N10) will also be canceled
  • SSB-Flex: SSB-Flex vehicles will not run on February 29 and March 1, 2024 due to the strike
  • Lines not affected are:

    • Buses operated by private companies on behalf of SSB on SSB lines will not be canceled (lines 53, 54, 58, 60, 64, 66, 73 and 90).
  • Customer service, the lost property office and the customer centers are closed and cannot be reached. 

Esslingen:

  • All bus lines of the Esslingen municipal transport company (SVE)

    • including the following lines: 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 108, 109, 110, 111, 113, 115, 118, 132, 138:
  • SVE customer centers are closed on the day of the strike
  • Lines not affected are:

    • Lines that are operated by private bus companies in Esslingen. These buses will operate as usual.
    • Night buses (N12 and N13) from March 1 to 2, 2024

The VVS recommends that passengers check their connections on the day of the warning strike in the timetable information via the VVS app or at vvs.de. The connections are automatically displayed there on the day of the strike without the means of transport on strike. Passengers can thus quickly get an overview of whether a connection is also possible without a streetcar or bus, possibly involving a longer walk.

Passengers may also be able to change to suburban trains or local trains that are not affected by the strike. The buses of the private transport companies, which are mainly in operation in the network districts, will run as usual.

Bicycles, carpooling or sharing services are alternatives in the event of a strike

For some passengers, it could be an alternative to travel by bike – weather permitting. You can use the VVS cycle route planner (VVS-Radroutenplaner) to find out which route to take. In individual cases, car sharing, rental scooters, e-bikes for hire or private carpooling can also be a good alternative for getting from A to B. Note: Please note that the VVS mobility guarantee does not apply in the event of a strike.

Status: February 26, 2024

(Translation from VVS.de: Warnstreik in Stuttgart und Esslingen (vvs.de), 28 Feb. 2024)