German rail operator Deutsche Bahn intends to largely resume its usual services at the start of operations on Wednesday after a strike by the train drivers' union GDL ended at 2 am (0100 GMT).
"We will return to normal operations very quickly tomorrow, Wednesday, and offer our passengers the full programme again," railway spokesman Achim Stauß said on Tuesday.
The GDL's sixth industrial action was scheduled to last 24 hours, with around 80% of long-distance trains cancelled. In freight transport, the strike had started and ended earlier.
Deutsche Bahn appealed to the GDL to announce any future strikes with more advance notice. The union only announced Tuesday's strike on Sunday evening. GDL boss Claus Weselsky wants to increase the pressure on the employer with shorter and shorter-term industrial action.
The crux of the conflict is still the union's demand that shift workers should only have to work 35 hours in future for the same pay instead of the current 38 hours.
The railway had accepted a compromise proposal in a mediation process. This envisaged reducing working hours to 36 hours in two stages by 2028. The GDL rejected the proposal and ended the talks.
The GDL and its chairman Weselsky have not ruled out strikes over Easter.
As rail passengers look forward to a strike-free day, air passengers are not so lucky as cabin crew for German national carrier Lufthansa plan to continue their strike action on Wednesday.
Following a walkout at Frankfurt airport with around 70,000 passengers affected, Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine flight attendants are planning to strike in Munich from 4 am.
The company estimates that 400 aircraft with 50,000 passengers will not be able to take off. At the same time, negotiations with the trade union verdi for Lufthansa ground staff are due to continue on Wednesday.
Another trade union Ufo is demanding 15% more pay for the approximately 18,000 cabin staff at Lufthansa and the almost 1,000 employees of the regional subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine for a contract period of 18 months. The union also wants an inflation adjustment bonus of €3,000 ($3,278) and higher bonuses.
Negotiations with verdi for the approximately 25,000 ground staff are to continue on Wednesday and Thursday, with the union demanding 12.5% more pay for a 12-month term, while the company has so far offered 10% for a 28-month term.
After four rounds of negotiations, an inflation compensation bonus of €3,000 is relatively uncontroversial.
Last week, hundreds of Lufthansa flights were cancelled due to strikes organized by verdi ground staff.