German train strike leaves millions stranded

Millions of passengers were left stranded across Germany on Saturday after train drivers began a 50-hour strike that halted two thirds of long-distance trains in a dispute over pay and negotiation rights.

The GDL drivers' union started their action at 2 am on Saturday morning for passenger trains. They return to work on Monday morning. Freight train drivers started their strike 11 hours earlier on Friday afternoon.
The drivers' second national strike in a week hit at the start of week-long, half-term holidays in nearly half of Germany's 16 federal states.

Germans this week have also faced strikes by pilots at Lufthansa's Germanwings due to a long-running dispute over an early retirement scheme.