report
Since yesterday, passengers in local and regional transport nationwide can use the new Deutschlandticket. What does the new offer bring to those who have to drive to work every day? tagesschau.de was traveling with two commuters.
In the Rhineland-Palatinate town of Nierstein, Martin Schenkenberger left for work at around 8 a.m. this morning. He wants to go to nearby Mainz. This is where the IT expert has his office. As always, Schenkenberger goes to his car parked on the side of the road – and leaves it on the left. The 49-year-old continues to the train station in the Mainz suburb. He wants to get on the S-Bahn there.
“For me as a commuter, the Germany ticket is very attractive,” says Schenkenberger. “There are a lot of construction sites on the way to Mainz. A lot is also being built in Mainz. There are always traffic jams. Parking spaces are rare. I like to take the train. That way I’m not under time pressure.”
It usually takes him about forty minutes by car to get to the city center. Then there is the gambling search for a parking space. “It only takes me about twenty minutes by train. It’s only a five-minute walk to my office,” says Schenkenberger. He bought the ticket online on May 1 via the Bahn app. It wasn’t easy, says the IT expert, but the ticket was suddenly on his smartphone in the morning.
on the way in metropolitan area
However, the maiden voyage with the new ticket has been delayed. The train is late. Annoying for the 49-year-old, but there are no pressing early appointments in the office today. For Schenkenberger, however, the positive aspects outweigh the negative. “I was already a big fan of the 9-euro ticket. I like being able to get on public transport anywhere in Germany. I can easily use the bus and train in every city and leave the car at home.”
After twenty minutes of waiting, his S-Bahn is there. “I can use the time. And check emails and make phone calls. In the long run, the ticket from Nierstein to Mainz saves me a lot of time,” says the commuter.
The new offer is also financially worthwhile for Schenkenberger. But for him, getting to work faster is the most important thing. According to Deutsche Bahn, however, around three quarters of all previous subscription customers can save money if they switch to the new offer. The ticket is particularly worthwhile for commuters in regional transport between different cities. The Deutschlandticket then often only costs a fraction of what was previously paid for.
For Martin Schenkenberger, there are many advantages to commuting to Mainz by train.
No change without expanded public transport
In the Palatinate, Christian von Holst sits at his home at the kitchen table and opens his notebook. On the Internet he searches for a connection from Hettenleidelheim to Mannheim. The 57-year-old lives with his family in the small town. The machine builder works for the industrial company John Deere in Mannheim. His eyes wandered around the screen. Von Holst breathes through. “In Grünstadt I have to change trains for the first time. But I only have three minutes. Can I make the connection? There are many intermediate stops and changes,” says von Holst to Frankenthal and then again with the regional express to the main station in Mannheim.
“What if my bus is late?” asks the commuter. This connection takes a good hour and a half. Is there another alternative early morning connection? “Yes, but it also takes a good hour. And that’s the outward journey. Then there’s the return journey. And that every working day?” Von Holst shakes his head in resignation. “The 49-euro ticket is actually very interesting. I would like to switch to local public transport. But with this offer that is hardly possible. It takes me 35 minutes by car – 40 minutes when things are bad. The car has one high reliability for me.”
Von Holst has to start on time every morning. It starts at 7.15 a.m. for the machine builder. At 7.30 a.m. there is the first conference call with business partners from India. He has to be there on time. “All in all, the 49-euro ticket is not an alternative for me at the moment. I will have to stay with the car for the time being,” says von Holst. “We have good connections to the motorway, but not to public transport. Hopefully that will change someday.”
“Just turning the price screw is not enough”
Karl-Peter Naumann arrives in Hamburg – of course by train at the main station. Naumann is honorary chairman of the Pro Bahn passenger association and has known the problems of public transport in Germany for decades. “It’s great progress for passengers that we have a cheap ticket that’s valid everywhere,” says Naumann. When asked about the consequences for commuters, Naumann quickly becomes serious again. “There are many employees who cannot benefit from it. If there is no public transport service, you cannot use it. If the bus only comes three times a day in rural areas, people will have to continue to use their cars. And if you get in the car, you stay in it until you reach your destination.”
But what should federal and state governments do for commuters right now? “Investments must now be made in public transport. We need a significantly improved range of buses in rural areas,” demands Naumann. “At the same time, of course, the rail system must be expanded. We need more rail infrastructure so that more regional trains and more S-Bahn traffic can run.”
Naumann cites Vienna as an example. First of all, public transport was significantly expanded there, then the prices for parking continued to increase and, in a third step, a 365-euro ticket was introduced for the whole year. That prompted many to switch. Here in Germany, politicians have taken the third step before the first, says Naumann. “Just turning the price screw – that alone is not enough.”