Strike chaos in Dortmund: Buses and trains stop today!

Strike chaos in Dortmund: Buses and trains stop today!

On Wednesday, March 12, 2025, local transport in Dortmund is largely paralyzed due to a large -scale strike. All buses and city railways in the urban area will remain in the depot. These measures are part of a broader protest that the Verdi union has launched in order to draw attention to the demands for higher wages for employees in the public service. Over 5,000 participants are expected for a major rally on Friedensplatz in Dortmund, such as Ruhr24 reported.

In addition to the restrictions in local transport, other areas of the public service are also affected. These include waste disposal, street cleaning and civil services. Kitas are also expected to remain closed, which further reinforces the effects of the strike. The union already showed a first expression of its protest through these warning strikes on Monday, March 10, as airports such as Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn and Dortmund.

warning strike and other effects

The warning strike should start on Wednesday from around 3:30 a.m. and continue until the end of the day, around 1:30 a.m. In addition to the light rail and bus lines that are operated by DSW21, all customer centers on the strike day remain closed all day, which is only tightened for the circumstances for the Dortmund citizens.

It can be expected that traffic around the city will increase, which can lead to increased traffic and traffic jams. In other cities in the region, such as Castrop-Rauxel, Unna, Hamm and Soest, strikes have also been announced, which reinforces the effects of the industrial action.

The DSW21 plans to expand the all-day warning strikes, starting on Monday, March 10th, which already led to a decommissioning of the light rail and bus lines. This shows the determination of the union, which wants to benefit from public attention for the concerns of the employees, especially in the context of ongoing collective bargaining for the public service. Other backgrounds on the strikes and the demands of Verdi are on mirror to be found.

Although the H-Bahn and some special airport lines are not affected by these strikes, the situation remains tense for many commuters and residents in Dortmund. The coming days may be decisive for the further course of the collective bargaining and mobility in the region.