Germany faces widespread travel disruptions amid snow, freezing rain

(MENAFN) Germany faced widespread travel disruptions on Monday as heavy snow and freezing rain grounded flights, interrupted public transportation, and prompted school closures in several states.

Frankfurt Airport, the country’s busiest, canceled 79 of 1,035 scheduled flights, with winter service crews working continuously to de-ice planes, officials said.

The national railway, Deutsche Bahn, reported delays and cancellations on major routes, including Berlin-Hamburg and lines around Stuttgart and Frankfurt. In Berlin, tram services were fully suspended due to frozen tracks and power lines, while bus and subway operations ran with delays. Authorities urged motorists to exercise extreme caution and avoid non-essential travel.

The icy conditions led to hundreds of accidents nationwide, injuring at least 16 people, five of them seriously. In Heilbronn district, Baden-Württemberg, at least 15 trucks became stuck overnight in snow on a connector between the A6 and A81 highways near Stuttgart, temporarily closing the route before it reopened.

Schools in parts of Bavaria and Lower Saxony canceled classes, with some districts offering emergency care and others switching to remote instruction.

The German Weather Service reported that freezing rain and icy conditions were moving toward southern and eastern regions. While snowfall is expected to ease on Tuesday, freezing wet surfaces remain a major hazard, and forecasters warned that a new low-pressure system arriving Wednesday could bring heavy snow, particularly in Thuringia.

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