Local transport
Price dispute over the Germany ticket-countries criticize the federal government
A price increase is emerging again at the Germany ticket. There could be decisions on Thursday – not just for the coming year.
Millions of users have to prepare for a price increase in the Germany ticket. The Rhineland-Palatinate Transport Minister Katrin Eder (Greens) told the dpa: “We want to save the Germany ticket. Unfortunately, this will probably only be possible with a price increase because the federal government does not redeem its promises from the coalition agreement.”
According to reports, users could have to pay 62 to 64 euros per month in the coming year, as the German Press Agency learned in the run-up to the special transport minister conference in Munich. At the beginning of the year, the price rose from 49 euros to 58.
The Saarland transport minister Petra Berg already has a concrete price presentation. “I think that with a maximum of 62 euros from next year, good financing would be secured for the Germany ticket,” said the SPD politician of the “Rheinische Post”.
The North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Transport Oliver Krischer (Greens) also blamed the federal government. Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) apparently has no interest in relieving rail customers and is not willing to cover a financing gap, said Krischer from the German Press Agency.
Minister of Transport Minister decide
The Price Ministers’ Conference (VMK) of the federal states sets the prize. The federal government is a guest. Federal Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) is not involved in the talks in Munich, he is represented by a State Secretary.
In a fire template for the VMK, which is available to the dpa, no number is given when asked in 2026.
The stick point in the negotiations is the question of how expected additional costs should be compensated for in transport companies – beyond the three billion euros per year that the federal and state governments have so far provided together and also want to provide together for the coming year. The Germany ticket is cheaper compared to previous subscriptions, which ensures that the income is taken.
The Germany ticket has been around since May 2023. According to the industry, it is used by around 14 million people and enables trips in public regional and local transport nationwide.
Without a dynamization of the three billion euros from the federal and state governments, a financing gap of 800 million euros was already threatened in 2026, said Alexander Möller, Managing Director of the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV). In essence, this should be concluded to new public transport customers through a price increase of the ticket and greater successes when selling. “A price adjustment can only be moderate, since significantly more tickets are to be sold.” A qualitatively good and at the same time as the Germany ticket attractive public transport requires a clear financing perspective. A significant price increase ranges the risk that the ticket will no longer be attractive enough for many customers.
Price mechanism possible
A fixed price mechanism is mentioned in the draft resolution. From 2027, the price of the Germany ticket could be continued on the basis of a cost index to be developed until the Conference of Transport Ministers in autumn 2025. This index should in particular map personnel and energy costs and should be determined after hearing the industry.
A spokesman Schnieders said that the goal of the federal government was a mechanism that offers long-term planning security for both public transport customers and for transport companies.
Brandenburg’s Transport Minister Detlef Tabbert (BSW) said that the Germany ticket finally needed a reliable basis. “It must be financially secure over several years so that there are not new discussions about the price every year.”
In addition, according to the template, the federal states could agree to provide 1.5 billion euros annually for the Germany ticket from 2026 to 2030 – if the federal government also guarantees federal funds of at least 1.5 billion euros per year from 2026 to 2030. So far, the federal government has only promised this for 2026.
Schnieder had made it clear several times that the federal government made no further funds available beyond the promised 1.5 billion euros. “It is the opposite of responsible politics to only promise price stability and, when it becomes concrete, to get out of dust,” said Krischer. In its coalition agreement, the black and red federal government spoke of price stability by 2029. The SPD in particular has campaigned for this.
The CDU, CSU and SPD coalition agreement states that the proportion of user financing should be increased gradually and socially acceptable from 2029.
The spokesman Schnieders said when asked whether the Federal Government remained at the goal of the price stability that it remains to be with the goal of maintaining the Germany ticket.
Countries don’t want to give either
The Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Transport Eder said that the federal government did not increase its share that the price could remain at 58 euros. After initial resistance from Bavaria, the federal states had now also agreed to raise the same sum of 1.5 billion again. There is no majority for paying a higher proportion than the federal government.
dpa
Source: Stern
