10 million people have bought the Deutschland ticket in a month

Germany’s new approach has convinced hundreds of thousands of people to start using public transport for the first time

Today, the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) published a balance sheet detailing the success of the first month of the so-called Deutschland Ticket – a 49-euro monthly pass that allows passengers to ride on all public transport around the country.

According to an official statement, the ticket has been an enormous success with 10 million purchases in one month. It has also lowered prices for consumers, offered more convenient connections and convinced more people to go by public transport.

Uniting the branches of public transport for a common goal

The ticket is valid in all regions and cities in Germany and can also be used on regional trains and some regional buses. It also represents a new age for public transport in the country, along with many logistical and political challenges associated with adopting a one-size-fits-all approach to the patchwork of regional public transport offers.

Nevertheless, after an initial trial run last summer with a 9-euro ticket which had the same function, lawmakers got together and created the required framework. Moreover, apart from increased functionality and an improved social travel offer through the inflation crisis, the Deutschland Ticket also aims to make public transport more attractive and convince more people to ditch their cars.

And, considering that the ticket has already been on the market for a month, since 1 May, it's fair to ask – is it working?

10 million people now own a Deutschland Ticket

According to the balance report from the VDV, 10 million people now ride public transport using the Deutschland ticket. This has happened after just one month since the ticket was released on the market, meaning that it is a very attractive offer for many.

The report also specifies that around 5 million passengers have switched from their previous public transport subscription plan to the Deutschland ticket. An additional 4.3 million, on the other hand, are new subscribers, who had owned some form of monthly card before or used public transport usually at standard fares.

The last group, however, is the most interesting - close to 700,000 people are new customers who generally have not used public transport to date. This means that more and more people are going for public transport.