According to the Bavarian Ministry of Transport, the price of the Deutschlandticket must be increased by 30 percent next year. The reason for this is the need to cover costs, writes the “Bild” newspaper, citing a statement for the Deutschlandticket Coordination Council. The Ministry of Transport in Bavaria confirmed the information upon request.
The state estimates the funding gap to be at least 750 million euros next year. Accordingly, the price of the 49-euro ticket must rise to 64 euros. “It is highly likely that funding security for 2025 can only be achieved with a price of at least 64 euros,” Bild quotes from the statement. The Deutschlandticket is currently available as a subscription for 49 euros per month, with the costs being split between the federal and state governments.
Munich insists on a viable and long-term solution
Bavaria’s Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) told the German Press Agency, “I fear that the price discussion for the Deutschlandticket will drag on indefinitely if no solution is found now that actually covers the expected costs.” No one would be helped if there was only a moderate increase that turned out to be insufficient after a few months. “Instead of pulling the wool over the passengers’ eyes, I expect a viable and long-term solution at the Transport Ministers’ Conference in the autumn, in which the federal government will also contribute half, without any ifs or buts.”
More clarity should be available in autumn
In the financing dispute with the federal government, the states have long assumed that the Deutschlandticket will become more expensive from next year. It is not yet clear how much the subscription for local public transport will cost. More clarity should emerge after the upcoming transport ministers’ conference in the autumn.
The dispute over the financing of the Deutschlandticket is as old as the subscription itself. The transport companies are suffering high revenue losses due to the cheaper offer. The federal and state governments had originally agreed to each compensate for this by half. The regionalization funds with which the federal government supports the states in providing public transport were increased for this purpose.
Nevertheless, there are repeated disputes about the long-term security of the ticket, which has allowed holders to travel on public transport buses and trains across Germany since May last year.
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