Rail services across Austria to face 'severe disruption' due to major strike

Rail services across Austria will be shut down on Monday unless a planned two-hour warning strike by its workers is averted at the last minute.

Negotiations continued but the strike to press the workers' demands in annual pay talks was due to start at 12 p.m. (1100 GMT).

Since the union failed to provide details of the affected lines, national rail company OBB said it had made preparations for a total closure across Austria, an important junction for rail travel that borders countries including Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

"It is to be assumed that there will be severe disruptions across Austria," OBB said in a statement.

"Should the strike not be averted, no trains will operate across Austria from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m."

A spokeswoman for the Vida union was not immediately available for comment.