Transport: Germany is betting on a monthly ticket at 49 euros, valid on all local public transport

This should delight lovers of repeated getaways.

Germany is preparing to launch a monthly pass that will allow free travel on the entire local public transport network (regional trains, metro, trams, buses, etc.) in the country, for only 49 euros.

Only express and long-distance trains are excluded from this attractive offer.

The kick-off for this operation, dubbed “

”, will be given on 1 May.

The Germans know what to expect: this summer, they had already had the opportunity to benefit from a similar offer, for 9 euros per month.

The measure, limited to three months, was to encourage the use of transport and support the rise in energy prices.

The outcome of the operation was more conclusive, with nearly 52 million tickets sold.

“

” explains Deutsch Bahn, the public German rail transport company responsible for marketing the season ticket.

Challenge for Deutsch Bahn

Galvanized by this summer success, the government aimed to transform the test as soon as possible, from the beginning of 2023. The "

" will finally take a few more months to arrive at the dock, the parliamentary debates surrounding its adoption being more laborious than expected.

Rates, applicable transport, support... the elected representatives of the Bundestag have scrutinized the terms of the future subscription.

On Thursday, the chamber finally adopted the bill establishing the ticket at 49 euros.

"

", hastened to tweet the Minister of Transport and maker of the "

", Volker Wissing.

As for the main point of tension - the financing of the operation - the Parliamentarians decided to cut the pear in two: from 2023 to 2025, the federal government and the Landers will each contribute up to 1.5 billion euros per year, to compensate for the loss of earnings of transport companies.

For the rest, the scenario is not yet written.

“

“says the official website of the Bundestag.

First transport company of the country, the Deutsch Bahn should be the main beneficiary of the contributions of the State and the Landers.

But will the Germanic equivalent of our national SNCF have the backs strong enough to support a tariff operation of this magnitude?

The latest report from the Federal Court of Auditors, devoted to Deutsch Bahn and submitted to the Bundestag on Wednesday, raises doubts.

The institution points to a "

", "

".

She is especially alarmed by the deficit accumulated by the company, approaching 30 billion euros.

What also feed the concerns of parliamentarians,

“, the monthly rate of 49 euros being only”

“.

Double rail traffic

Seemingly remote from these financial considerations, the Germans nevertheless paid the price in their daily rail journeys.

In an article published this summer, the

correspondent in Berlin spoke of the "

", highlighted by the exceptional influx of travelers linked to the 9 euro ticket.

After years of under-investment, Deutsche Bahn embarked last year on titanic work aimed at upgrading its tracks.

What contributes, for the moment, to degrade a little more the punctuality observed on the network.

Committed to the ecological transition and overtaken by the energy crisis, the coalition in power across the Rhine wishes, like the French government, to boost the development of rail transport.

Flagship instrument of this policy, the "

" should make it possible to reconcile the Germans with the train, the Ministry of Transport aiming to double passenger traffic on the rails by 2030. But the measure could also appeal to European travelers, who are, like German citizens, fully eligible for the scheme.

On good terms.