Commuters in Cologne and Bonn face a tough Monday: the ver.di union called a one-day warning strike for February 2nd, disrupting public transportation across the region.
The strike impacts the KVB (Cologne Transport Authority). From 3 a.m. Monday until approximately 3 a.m. Tuesday, no trams or buses operated by KVB will be running. However, some bus routes will continue with service provided by subcontractors.
KVB Strike: Lines 16 and 18 Also Affected
Stadtbahn lines 16 and 18, jointly operated with Stadtwerke Bonn (SWB), are also affected by the work stoppage.
KVB suggests riders utilize the KVB-Rad bike-sharing program as an alternative. Those with a Deutschlandticket or VRS-Chipkarte subscription can enjoy 30 minutes of free riding per trip. Others pay €1 for 15 minutes.
The background of the warning strike are the ongoing tariff negotiations with the Kommunaler Arbeitgeberverband Nordrhein-Westfalen (KAV NW), which ended without result in the first round of negotiations in Cologne on January 21, 2026. “The workload in many areas is hardly manageable anymore,” said Frank Michael Munkler, ver.di trade union secretary. “We need tangible improvements to get a future-proof public transport system.”
Demands include a reduction in the weekly working hours with full pay compensation and a minimum rest period of eleven hours between shifts.
Passengers can use trains operated by Deutsche Bahn, Mittelrheinbahn, and other railway companies (S-Bahn, Regionalbahn, and Regionalexpress) within the scope of their tickets, as these are not affected by the strike.
KVB notes that bus services provided by individual subcontractors on Monday are included in the journey planner. KVB advises entering your address instead of the departure stop when searching the journey planner to see other available services nearby.
The Rhein-Sieg-Verkehrsgesellschaft (RSVG) is not affected by the strike. However, due to the SWB strike, bus lines 117, 540, 550, 636, and 640 will experience cancellations. All services on line 552 will operate as scheduled.
Warning Strike: ver.di Demands Shorter Work Week
What’s driving this strike? ver.di is pushing for a shorter work week and better rest periods for public transport workers, citing unsustainable workloads.
For rail passengers, it’s a case of bracing for disruption. They recently endured a complete closure of the Regio route between Cologne Central Station and Remagen/Erftstadt from January 23rd to 30th, 2026, due to track and switch renewals. This impacted services like the RE5, RB26, and RB48.
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