In April 2023, Germany initiated what officials have dubbed the “biggest public transport reform in German history”. The so called Deutschlandticket allows public transport users to enjoy unlimited local and regional public transport for just 49 euros a month or about 1.60 euros a day. Because of the immense success of the promotion, the German government has now decided to prolong the initiative to the end of 2024.
When the Deutschlandticket ( D-ticket) launched, the website of the national railway company Deutsche Bahn crashed because of the number of people trying to get their hands on the pass. The success continued and in the first month the D-ticket was available, no less than 3 million people went ahead and purchased one – 750,000 of whom wouldn’t normally use public transportat. Over the summer months of June, July and August, an astonishing 52 million Deutschlandtickets were sold.
Initially, the price for the ticket was planned to go up at the beginning of January 2024 but the government has decided to keep the €49 price steady for another 12 months by reinvesting unspent funds from 2023. At the moment, the federal traffic light coalition is looking to take things even further by introducing family-friendly measures, which would allow ticket holders to bring one other adult and up to three children under the age of 14 with them at certain times.
Even though the D-ticket is mainly interesting for German citizens, tourists can benefit from the deal as well, which is especially worth its price when travelling throughout the country. The D-ticket can be used on city buses, subways and trams in municipalities across Germany, as well as on short and medium-distance transport including trains. The only exceptions are long-distance IC, EC or ICE trains.
The idea of the Deutschlandticket, even though it might not be financially profitable for the government on the short term, is simple: the aim is to lower CO2 emissions throughout the country and to make people acquainted with public transportat as a viable alternative for taking their car when travelling. By keeping the price steady for another year, the government hopes to be able to partly compensate the inflation that is touching many Germans at the moment.
