Will there soon be fewer local trains?

In order to achieve the climate goals, rail transport in Germany should actually be expanded. But now there is even a risk that fewer regional trains will run in the future. Because the countries are apparently running out of money.

Numerous federal states are responding to the request ARD capital studios on the subject of local transport SOS Oliver Krischer from the Greens, transport minister in North Rhine-Westphalia and chairman of the German transport ministers’ conference, says: “We are now in a situation where there are no more reserves. Quite the opposite: the numbers are deep red everywhere.” He is certain that “all federal states will have to reduce traffic.”

The states are demanding more money from the federal government. Bavaria’s Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter from the CSU explains: “The situation is very serious. The commitments made so far are minimal and they do not solve the problem.”

States: Federal money is not enough

The federal government, together with the states, is responsible for the traffic of S-Bahn and regional trains. The division of labor looks like this: The states decide where trains run and how frequently the trains run. The federal government transfers a lump sum amount to the states every year, the so-called regionalization funds.

According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, the federal states will receive around eleven billion euros this year. This sum increases by three percent every year. But the money is not enough, says NRW Transport Minister Krischer. Local rail transport has been “confronted with significant cost increases in recent years”. “These are wage costs, of course, but they are also energy costs as a result of the war in Ukraine.”

Germany ticket problematic

Another problem is the Germany ticket. Although it is popular with passengers, it results in less income from ticket sales for the states. And it costs the federal and state governments 1.5 billion euros each. It also helps people in cities in particular, where bus and train services are already good.

Things look different in the countryside. In order for more people to use local transport here, more buses and trains would have to run, especially here. According to a study commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Transport, up to 31 billion euros would have to flow into local transport in 2031, almost three times as much as currently.

Are the countries participating enough?

But many people don’t trust the federal states to finance local transport. Because they too should actually participate in the financing of buses and trains. But some only give a little money. Last year, Lower Saxony only contributed nine percent to the financing of its local transport.

“This game where only the states demand more money from the federal government, I don’t think it works,” says Stefan Gelbhaar, the transport policy spokesman for the Greens in the Bundestag. “There is overall responsibility there.”

Gelbhaar is not demanding any additional money for the states – even though he actually wants to expand local transport. First of all, it must be ensured that all federal states contribute equally to the costs of local transport in their country. “Overall, we need a pact between the federal, state and local governments that describes: What will the public transport of the future look like? What do local and state governments have to do, and what does the federal government also have to do?”

“We haven’t progressed a millimeter”

The project is in the coalition agreement. Two years ago, a federal and state working group was set up. The Federal Ministry of Transport describes this as a “unique conversation format”. But NRW Transport Minister Krischer criticizes Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing’s lack of willingness to talk. “Unfortunately we are in the situation where we haven’t progressed a millimeter,” he criticizes. “A sensible conversation with the Federal Ministry of Transport has practically not taken place for some time.”

Now things should get moving again. Starting tomorrow, the federal and state governments will meet for the transport ministers’ conference.