Train passengers face major disruption between Munich and Salzburg

Train cancellations and delays lasting hours... that's what people travelling between Munich and Salzburg have been experiencing this week. 

According to regional broadcaster BR24, passengers have been left stranded at crowded platforms.

Those affected said that a large number of travellers and commuters were stranded at the station in Salzburg on Monday. Some were able to take the S-Bahn across the border to Freilassing and continue their journey on regional trains there.

Austrian rail operator ÖBB reported delays of up to 120 minutes, while travellers said they had seen delays of almost three hours, as well as some cancellations.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) said there were restrictions on regional and long-distance services between Munich and Salzburg because of unexpected construction work between Rosenheim and Freilassing.

However, on Tuesday morning the line was reported to be almost fully operational except for a short single-track section. The backlog has continued to cause some delays and train cancellations.

In an official statement, DB said: "Due to construction work near Freilassing, there are disruptions to Deutsche Bahn's long-distance services between Munich and Salzburg. The following long-distance connections are affected: All RJX/ICE/IC trains between Munich and Freilassing or Salzburg are delayed by up to 20 minutes."

The disruption was set to last until around Tuesday at noon.

The railway operator told BR24 in a statement that it was aware of the "difficult situation for passengers" and wanted to "apologise for the inconvenience".

Salzburg is a popular destination for holidaymakers in Germany – and many will be heading there to make the most of the sun this week. 

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