DHAKA: A four-day rail strike, billed as the longest in German history, has hit passenger trains and threatens to disrupt celebrations marking the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall.

The stoppage by the 20,000-member GDL union hit intercity and regional services alike on Thursday and is due to last until early on Monday.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn is seeking an injunction to halt the strike, reports the BBC.

The union rejected the company’s offer of arbitration late on Wednesday.

As commuters struggled to work, on the roads and on restricted rail services, there was widespread concern that the strike would hit up to two million people travelling to Berlin for the 25th anniversary celebrations of the fall of the wall.

Events are being held throughout the weekend, with concerts, a street festival at the Brandenburg Gate, and guests of honour such as former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

The weekend’s Bundesliga football matches are also likely to be hit by the 100-hour stoppage.

Deutsche Bahn, facing the longest strike in its 20-year history, complained of ‘massive disturbances’ for travellers. The company’s request for an injunction will be heard by a court in Frankfurt later.

One traveller in Munich complained that he was unable to go to Frankfurt, ‘There are no hire cars left at the station and the buses are booked solid’.

A bus booking website reported a five-fold rise in traffic on its site.

BDST: 2012 HRS, NOV 06, 2014