Strike halts Hamburg metro lines, disrupts bus network

A 24-hour strike has brought Hamburg’s underground services to a standstill and severely disrupted bus operations, transport authorities in the northern German city said on Saturday.

No metro trains have been running since early morning, while bus services are heavily impacted, according to operator Hamburger Hochbahn.

The Verdi trade union called the strike, which is set to end on Sunday morning. Suburban rail trains and harbour ferries are not affected.

The walkout follows a series of strikes in recent weeks.

The dispute in Hamburg, a city-state, centres on ongoing wage negotiations, with talks set to resume on Monday.

Contract talks are ongoing across much of Germany’s public transport sector, with agreements already concluded in several states.