On Monday 3 April, Germany’s monthly €49 nationwide public transit ticket, ‘Deutschland Ticket’, went on sale.
From May 1, the ticket will be accepted on all national municipal and regional transportation.
Customers can now pre-order the “Deutschland-Ticket” or “D-Ticket” from transportation providers all over Germany as well as on the Deutsche Bahn website and mobile app. It is accessible as a monthly-cancelable digital membership.
In November, Volker Wissing, the minister of transport, stated that the action was intended to reduce emissions while assisting people in coping with the rising cost of living problem.
A €9 monthly ticket was launched as an experiment in the summer of 2022. With the revised ticket, the cost is now €49, or roughly $1.60 per day.
Where can I use my Deutschland Ticket?
The ticket costs less than usual and is good on all short- and medium-distance public transportation, including buses and trains. It is not accepted on trains run by DB Fernverkehr AG (which includes RE) or other long-distance companies like FlixTrain. (IC, EC, ICE).
The government and DB Fernverkehr are presently negotiating exceptions on specific line segments.
The new monthly fee was approved by 16 separate German states’ transport ministers. It will now go into effect in May instead of starting to be available in January as initially planned.
The new paperless ticket is available as a subscription rather than as a one-time buy like the €9 scheme this summer.
It is a desirable choice because it is good on all German public transportation systems, many of which have perplexing fare structures.
Children under the age of six are admitted free of charge.
What happened to the monthly pass for €9?
A €9 ticket was tested in June, July, and August 2022, allowing users to travel on all national railway, bus, and tram networks.
It was implemented in an effort to stop rising inflation brought on by Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. Additionally, the ticket was designed to promote the use of fuel-efficient vehicles and urge people to travel less.
According to the German association of transportation firms, VDV, during these three months, emissions were reduced by about 1.8 million tonnes.
There were many requests for a replacement for the program, but there were disputes over the cost and who would foot the tab for the discounted ticket. Finally, it was decided to launch the new program, asking €49 per month, which was thought to be a more sustainable price.
Some governments have also chosen to design their own variations of the program. A €29 ticket that can be used on local public transportation was launched by Berlin. The subscription, which went on sale in October, is only valid through the end of April 2023; after that, the €49 ticket will take its position.