The 9 euro ticket was a complete success.
The successor, the 49-euro ticket, can be used on buses and trains from May 1st.
All information at a glance.
Munich – The 49-euro ticket is fixed.
The last hurdle has fallen, because after the Bundestag, the Bundesrat also approved a financing law on Friday, March 31, 2023.
The start of sales is already planned for Monday, April 3rd.
49 euro ticket: how much does it cost?
49 euros!
But there is one exception: Low earners in Hesse should be able to buy a cheaper Germany ticket from the beginning of August.
It will cost 31 euros per month, said the Ministry of Transport in Wiesbaden.
The normal price of the ticket is 49 euros and will go on sale from the beginning of April.
The cheaper version is for people who receive citizenship benefit, social benefit or housing benefit.
Where is the 49 euro ticket valid?
The Germany ticket enables nationwide journeys in local public transport (ÖPNV) and local rail passenger transport (SPNV), informs the federal government.
Travelers can therefore use all buses and trains of
public regional and local transport
throughout Germany.
Long-distance transport and journeys in first class are excluded.
As Deutsche Bahn informs, it does not apply to trains operated by DB Fernverkehr AG or other long-distance transport providers (e.g. FlixTrain).
This includes the following trains: IC, EC, ICE, but also RE of DB Fernverkehr AG.
When is the 49-euro ticket valid?
The Germany ticket or 49-euro ticket is to start with an introductory price of 49 euros per month on May 1st and tie in with the popular 9-euro ticket from summer 2022.
+
The 49-euro ticket is a done deal.
But what is there to know about the successor to the 9-euro ticket?
© imago
49-euro ticket: When can the successor to the 9-euro ticket be purchased?
The official sale of the 49-euro ticket for local public transport, which is valid throughout Germany, starts on April 3rd.
In the past few weeks, many transport companies have already taken pre-orders for the new ticket.
The ticket should mainly be issued digitally, i.e. via a smartphone app.
There is also the option of a chip card.
And it will initially also be accepted in printed form.
The Deutschlandticket is personal, i.e. non-transferrable.
Is there a subscription model for the 49-euro ticket?
In any case, a subscription must be taken out for the 49-euro ticket, which can be canceled on a monthly basis.
A digitally bookable, monthly terminable subscription is planned, which is valid on buses and trains throughout Germany.
According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, formal approval from the EU Commission is not required.
49-euro ticket: what about existing ticket subscriptions?
Many subscription contracts with transport companies and associations with terms longer than May 1st can be converted to the 49-euro ticket.
Sometimes this happens automatically, sometimes passengers have to take action themselves.
In this case, a special notice period for the existing subscription usually applies.
Can you take dogs or bicycles on the 49 euro ticket?
There are regional regulations for this.
The Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg, for example, allows you to take a dog with you in its fare zone.
49-euro ticket: Are there special features for students?
With the 49-euro ticket, there should also be an offer for students.
The chairman of the state transport ministers, Oliver Krischer (Greens) from North Rhine-Westphalia, spoke of an "upgrade solution" from May 1st.
This means that students only have to pay the difference up to the price of 49 euros for the Germany ticket, based on the amount of their semester ticket.
Krischer explained that a work process had been agreed for the permanent and uniform nationwide inclusion of tickets for students in the 49-euro ticket.
49-euro ticket: Are there family tickets for the successor to the 9-euro ticket?
No.
According to the previous plans, every family member over the age of six would have to purchase their own ticket - unlike many existing ticket offers.
Some employers have also announced that they will pass on the 49-euro ticket to their employees at a subsidized rate.
49-euro ticket: does it cost 49 euros permanently?
Maybe not.
The legislator emphasizes that the 49 euros are a "starting price".
In particular, in the event that the funds promised to the transport companies to compensate for their losses because of the ticket are not sufficient, the possibility of increasing the price in the future is provided.
That's why politicians prefer to call the ticket Deutschlandticket instead of the 49-euro ticket.
What is the 49 euro ticket supposed to bring?
The Deutschlandticket is intended to make local public transport more attractive in terms of price and encourage people to switch from cars to buses and trains.
This should benefit the climate: In 2022, CO₂ emissions in the transport sector had increased compared to the previous year, and the annual emissions permitted under the Federal Climate Protection Act were exceeded.
Experts see a large gap in achieving climate goals in the medium and long term.
49-euro ticket: how much does it cost the state?
According to the law, the federal government will provide 1.5 billion euros from 2023 to 2025 to compensate for half of the loss of revenue from transport providers due to the low ticket price.
The federal states should pay for the other half.
What does politics say about the 49-euro ticket?
Brandenburg's Transport Minister Guido Beermann (CDU) called the 49-euro ticket an extremely attractive offer in terms of price.
He called on the federal government to integrate the Bahncard 50 into the Deutschlandticket.
That would create a clear incentive to switch from cars to Deutsche Bahn (DB), even in long-distance transport.
Saxony's Transport Minister Martin Dulig (SPD) warned of fragmentation with the ticket.
There must be as nationwide uniform regulations as possible for everything to do with tickets, for example for students or when taking bicycles with you.
Hesse's Transport Minister Tarek Al-Wazir (Greens) spoke of the biggest revolution in buses and trains in decades: "One ticket, one price, all of Germany." However, an expansion of the infrastructure is necessary.
The federal states have long been demanding a significant increase in federal funds.
The federal government's railway commissioner, Secretary of State for Transport Michael Theurer (FDP), called the Deutschlandticket a huge step forward for people.
Bremen's mobility senator Maike Schaefer (Greens) said the ticket was nothing less than the end of small-scale local transport and the tariff jungle.
The 49-euro ticket is a milestone on the way to a mobility revolution and a contribution to climate protection.
Is there also criticism of the 49-euro ticket?
Absolutely.
For many, the ticket doesn't go far enough.
"From our point of view, the federal and state governments have agreed on a price that is too high," said the chairwoman of the social association Germany, Michaela Engelmeier, to the newspapers of the
Funke media group
.
"For many people, 49 euros per month is simply too much." People with low incomes are particularly dependent on cheap local transport.
A “federal patchwork quilt” is now also threatening.
(cgsc with dpa and AFP)
Even more will change in Germany in April 2023 - not only the 49-euro ticket will come, but also wage increases and the nuclear power plant phase-out.
List of rubrics: © imago