Germany has opted for a drastic reduction in the price of public transport to encourage people to use it more often and save energy. During the months of June, July and August, the new travel pass will cost 9 euros per month and will be valid on buses, subways, streetcars, suburban trains and regional trains throughout Germany, regardless of the city in which it is purchased.
The ticket is nominative – name and surname must be written on it in pen – and valid for calendar months, i.e. if it is purchased when the month has already begun, it will still expire on the last day of that month. For the time being, the initiative covers only the three months indicated.
The plan to make public transport cheaper, an initiative of the Federal Government, had been in the pipeline for weeks, but had met with resistance from several public transport companies and some federal states. Bavaria even threatened a blockade. Finally, the Bundestag and Bundesrat – the lower and upper houses of Parliament – approved it last week, and the Germans are celebrating the decision. The savings are obvious. For example, a single ticket in Berlin costs three euros and a monthly pass costs 86 euros.
The German federal government aims to save fuel so as not to be dependent on energy supplies from Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The Executive is working hard to reduce this; it claims to have gone from 55% to 35% in gas and from 35% to 12% in oil since the war began.
Individuals can pre-book the pass through the Deutsche Bahn Navigator App or on its website. It’s also possible to buy it on the websites and apps of the different regional transport companies such as Berlin’s BVG, the Ruhr Area’s VRR, and the Munich area’s SSB. All tickets are valid nationwide. There’s also a plan to sell 9-Euro Tickets at the DB ticket machines and all customer centers nationwide from June 1st.
With the new 9 euro pass it is technically possible to make long journeys if one has the patience to take only regional trains, so it would be feasible for users to take advantage of it during the tourist season. It is excluded for use on Deutsche Bahn long-distance trains, trains of the private company Flix and long-distance buses. The ticket is only valid for second class.
