It was discussed for a long time, now the federal and state governments have agreed: the nine-euro ticket will have a successor. It should cost 49 euros, be called “Deutschlandticket”, be digital and relieve people of the currently high costs. Finance Minister Christian Lindner describes the Deutschlandticket as the “greatest public transport reform of all time”. But even if the traffic light government is now patting itself on the back – there are still a few questions to be clarified before you can use the ticket to go to work or on vacation. The most important questions at a glance:
When will the 49 euro ticket come out?
That’s a question that still hasn’t been answered. The joint decision paper, on which the Prime Ministers and the Federal Chancellor agreed on Wednesday, says that they want to “introduce it as soon as possible. But January 1, which is the target as the start date, it shouldn’t be. “That’s unrealistic and can’t make it in time,” says Oliver Wolff, head of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV). Süddeutsche Zeitung. He is aiming for the beginning of March, even if that is “challenging”. “But we have to be able to do that.” A few things still have to happen before the ticket is valid: This time, unlike the nine-euro ticket in summer, not only the federal government but also the states pay. This means that the respective state parliaments have to agree and provide the money – and this process takes time. On the other hand, the more than 100 regional transport associations in Germany have to regulate sales and distribution. After all, it is not intended as a ticket for individual months, but as a subscription that can be canceled monthly.
Why could it be more expensive?
Higher fuel and electricity prices, rising labor costs: the costs of local transport are rising, even if the offer is not expanded. That is why the transport ministers of the federal and state governments have agreed that from 2024 the 49-euro ticket should be “dynamic” in the form of automatic inflation compensation. North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) says clearly: “The price will rise” – also to avoid that connections are thinned out or even abolished. “The best ticket doesn’t help in the end if the bus doesn’t come anymore.” The federal and state governments will soon be struggling again for further financing: the general federal grants for local transport, the so-called regionalization funds, are generally too low for the states; there should be regular increases here. Both sides want to renegotiate the question of how much the federal government will pay in total from 2025 at the end of 2024.
How big are the savings for the individual?
49 euros times twelve months equals 588 euros. How much money you can save with it depends on various factors. Above all, it depends on which of the more than 100 tariff associations in Germany you are at home in and what you use the ticket for. Basically, one can say: if you live in a metropolitan area, you save more money than in rural areas. Monthly tickets have been more expensive in many cities and are often valid for a very narrow area. In Frankfurt, such a ticket currently costs 78 euros, in the greater Hanover area commuters pay just under 60 euros. Here you save several hundred euros a year with the 49-euro ticket. But there is more to it than that. If you commute from the Munich area to the city, for example, a monthly ticket can cost up to 227 euros. With the Deutschlandticket, that would be a saving of 2136 euros per year – not including trips with the regional train.
What still needs to be settled?
In addition to the exact time when the ticket is valid, there are still a few unanswered questions about what you can and cannot do with the Deutschlandticket. For example, it is still unclear whether you need an additional ticket if you take your bike on the train or the S-Bahn. The price of the nine-euro ticket did not include taking a bicycle with you. The question of whether long-distance buses are part of the ticket could also be discussed. The ADAC suggested having this checked. And long-distance bus operators would also like to take part in the Deutschlandticket. The 49-euro ticket is incomplete without long-distance buses, says Flixbus founder André Schwämmlein.
Will there be cheaper tickets in some federal states?
In Berlin, for example, it has been possible to buy a 29-euro ticket since October, and the Senate has decided that this should remain the case until at least the end of March. It is up to him whether this will remain the case when the nationwide 49-euro ticket is introduced: The federal-state decision states: “Furthermore, the regulations for the Germany ticket must allow additional state-specific benefits without financial disadvantages, provided that differences are caused by the respective countries.” In other words: You are welcome to do it, dear Berliners, if you then bear the additional costs yourself.
Are there also models for poorer people?
This is currently not planned. Many transport associations have social tickets, but unlike the 49-euro ticket, these are only valid for the respective transport association and not throughout Germany. The German social association therefore criticizes the Germany ticket. It is good that the federal and state governments have agreed on a successor plan for the nine-euro ticket, says CEO Michaela Engelmeier. Nevertheless, 49 euros are too much for some people. “That’s why we’re still asking for a 365-euro ticket. One euro a day for mobility, that would really be socially acceptable.” The Federal Association of Consumers also considers the proposed ticket to be too expensive. Local public transport must remain affordable for everyone, says Chairwoman Ramona Pop. It calls for a nationwide uniform ticket at a price of 29 euros.