Coalition agreement: Germany ticket should remain after 2025

The popular Germany ticket for buses and trains should be preserved beyond the end of the year – but passengers will probably have to adjust to higher prices from 2029. This has agreed on this in their coalition negotiations. From 2029, the proportion of user financing is to be increased “gradually and socially acceptable”.

The costs for the ticket are to be divided according to a fixed key – so customers, but also the federal and state governments, should receive planning security. The price of the ticket for nationwide local transport was raised by around 18 percent from 49 euros to 58 euros a month at the beginning of the year.

The future of the D ticket was unsure

For financing, the federal and state governments are currently shooting 1.5 billion euros per year in order to compensate for loss of income for transport companies. Because most usual commuter subscriptions were much more expensive before. So far, however, the federal funds are only legally laid down for this year. Before the Bundestag election, the Union had left the future of the ticket open.

In the coalition agreement, the CDU, CSU and SPD also announce that the federal and state governments are to put the funding of local public transport (public transport) on a new legal basis and start a modernization pact. “We will secure the status quo, absorb increasing costs and create scope for new traffic,” it says.

“Realignment” at the railway board

With regard to the federal German railway, the future coalition wants to “implement a fundamental rail reform in the medium term”. Among other things, the Gleisnetz-Gesellschaft DB Infrago is to be further debited within the integrated group.

At the parent company and at Infrago, “a reorganization of the supervisory board and the board of directors should also be made,” it continues. The aim is to map more expertise and achieve slimming. The system of rail use fees (route prices) is to be reformed.