The German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) called for a strike affecting long-distance, regional and freight transport for 24 hours, starting at 2 am (0100 GMT) on Tuesday, with extensive disruption likely given the brief notice ahead of the industrial action.
The strike is to run until 2 am on Wednesday and comes just days after the last strike, when much of the nation's trains were brought to a standstill in a bitter labour dispute.
The union's announcement on Sunday is set to bring passenger and freight transport to a virtual halt, by now familiar to travellers amid the months-long wage dispute between the GDL and German rail operator Deutsche Bahn.
The sticking point between the two continues to be the GDL's core demand for a reduction in weekly working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35, with full wage compensation.
Union leader Claus Weselsky had already announced before the previous strike that the railway and passengers would be given significantly less time to prepare for industrial action in future.
The operator called on the union to resume negotiations on Friday. The GDL had expressed its willingness to meet again on Monday, provided that the railway submitted a new offer by its Sunday evening deadline at 6 pm (1700GMT).
However, Deutsche Bahn did not respond to this demand - "inevitably forcing the GDL to continue the dispute, to the chagrin of DB customers," the union said.
The operator had merely renewed its offer to the union to resume collective bargaining on Monday, saying offers and solutions could be submitted and discussed directly at the negotiating table, the company said on Sunday afternoon.
It is unclear whether the railway service will manage to put together an emergency timetable to keep some trains running given the brief time between the announcement and the industrial action.
During previous strikes, Deutsche Bahn managed to ensure that around one in five long-distance trains was able to run, though the strikes had a varied impact on regional transport networks.
Earlier on Sunday afternoon, Deutsche Bahn's human resources chief. Martin Seiler, said, "We are convinced that we will only be able to reach an agreement through dialogue at the negotiating table."
Switching to a written exchange of offers and responses at this very advanced stage of the negotiations would not be expedient, he said.
The rail operator also said it was prepared to enter into formal arbitration, meaning one or two people would be appointed as neutral third parties to reach a collective agreement.
So far, mediators have proposed a reduction in weekly working hours - a sticking point in the deadlocked negotiations - in two stages from 38 to 36 hours with full pay compensation by 2028, but the union has not accepted the proposal.
The latest walkout comes after the union staged a 35-hour strike in passenger transport last Thursday and Friday, while a strike in freight transport began on Wednesday and ended on Friday.
