What’s next for Germany’s pioneering Deutschlandticket?

Very likely, its current price cannot be maintained far into the future

Germany’s Deutschlandticket, an all-inclusive monthly pass that grants access to virtually all local and regional public transport networks in the country for the fixed price of 49 euros, has been a revolutionary innovation in the field of public services. However, despite its success, it also comes with its own set of unresolved issues, such as the question of footing the bill in order to make it affordable in the long run.

That’s why, yesterday, there was a specially organized summit in Berlin between the German federal government and representatives from the regional governments in order to propose and discuss solutions for these issues going forward.

The statements coming out of the conference after its end indicated that there was a consensus on continuing the Deutsclandticket, but it was also stated that its price “may also include an increase” in order to make it viable in the future.

It comes down to sustained financing

There were no specific details on when or how the pricing will change, though. The summit did the job of alleviating fears that the offer might be discontinued altogether. The governments decided certain steps on how to share the responsibility for the future financing of the Deutschlandticket.

For example, unspent funds from 2023 should be used next year to cover any additional costs. Next year, the federal and state governments will have a follow-up meeting to decide on a “mechanism for updating the ticket price”. So, we will stay tuned to see how this plays out and inform you.

Since 1 May, the Deutschlandticket, also known as D-Ticket, has been valid on local buses and trains - as a digitally bookable, monthly subscription throughout Germany. It was first tried out as an experiment during the summer of 2022 as a 9-euro ticket and proved to be extremely popular, although that price rate was quickly revealed to be unsustainable.