Germany’s train strike has been cut short. It will end on Saturday evening as “a gesture of conciliation,” according to the GDL union. <br /><br />It wants a five percent pay rise and two hours less work per week for its drivers.<br /><br />The walkout, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall been heavily critised by commuters.<br /><br />“At first I thought their demands were reasonable, but now I find them too much,” said rail traveller Jacob Waching.<br /><br />The strike has brought rail travel to a halt, disrupting the lives of commuters and long-distance travellers.<br /><br />“About 30 percent of long distance trains are running,” explained a spokesman for rail operator Deutsche Bahn, <br />Achim Stauss. “Local trains depend on the region: in eastern Germany, only around 15 to 20 percent are running. In western Germany it’s about 50 to 60 percent.”<br /><br />Millions of commuters in Germany ride on the railway every day, relying on the high-speed lines that criss-cross the country. About a fifth of German freight is also transported by rail.
