Germany expected to grind to a halt during country’s longest train strike

GDL union, which has 40,000 members, prepares for industrial action in dispute over pay and hours

Much of Germany is expected to grind to a halt on Wednesday when train drivers go on strike for almost a week in the longest industrial action in the history of its national railway.

The six-day strike, which will start at 2am on Wednesday morning for passenger trains and on Tuesday evening for freight, is taking place amid tensions and scenes of unrest across the country in recent days.