Rail workers in Germany staged a four-hour strike over pay on Monday morning, bringing long-distance rail services to a standstill.
The strike also disrupted commuter and freight trains, state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn said.
The company said regional train traffic too was significantly affected across Germany, with only a few commuter trains operating in the cities of Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt.
“Currently long-distance service is suspended,” Deutsche Bahn said on its website. It also said freight trains faced severe disruptions.
The strike from 0400 GMT to 0800 GMT, comes after wage talks between railway union EVG and Deutsche Bahn broke down on Saturday.
A warning from EVG, which represents most railway industry workers and professionals, that strike action is inevitable, has raised fears that Christmas travel could be disrupted.
“We are asking the EVG to return to the negotiation table. We are ready to talk,” a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn said.
