Lufthansa urges strike-hit passengers to take train

FRANKFURT, March 4 (Reuters) - German airline Deutsche Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) urged passengers to take the train as a strike by airport workers in Germany forced it to cut 142 mainly domestic flights scheduled for Wednesday.

Services to and from its main German hubs at Frankfurt and Munich would be worst hit, Lufthansa said in a statement on Tuesday.

But intercontinental flights would leave and arrive as planned, the carrier said.

"Passengers travelling within Germany whose flights are cancelled are asked to use the train," Lufthansa said, adding that trains would accept air tickets.

Germany's Verdi union said on Tuesday its members would strike at German airports on Wednesday as it tries to increase pressure on the government to agree to an 8 percent wage hike for some 2 million public-sector workers.

German rail company Deutsche Bahn [DBN.UL] meanwhile faces its own headache as train drivers' union GDL said earlier on Tuesday it would hold a fresh strike from Monday after talks broke down this week in a dispute over pay.