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When is Germany’s €49 ticket coming - and how long will it last?

The Local (news@thelocal.com)
The Local ([email protected])
When is Germany’s €49 ticket coming - and how long will it last?
A U-Bahn train arrives at the Museumsinsel station in Berlin. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder

Germany’s federal and state governments agreed to split the cost of a €49 monthly nationwide transport ticket - at least for this year. But with future funding still uncertain, will the low-cost ticket survive long-term?

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After months of negotiations between Germany 16 state governments and Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s federal administration, German leaders have agreed to split the cost of a successor to summer’s popular €9 nationwide public transport ticket.

The 50-50 cost split will see the federal government pay half and Germany’s 16 states cover the other half when the ticket is introduced in 2023.

After the Thursday meeting between Scholz and Germany’s state leaders, the Chancellor pledged that the ticket would come “quickly.”

READ ALSO: ‘Deutschlandticket’: What you need to know about Germany’s new €49 ticket

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Lower Saxony state premier Stephan Weil said the federal states were aiming to roll out the ticket towards the end of March in 2023.

“It shouldn’t be a summer thing,” Weil said.

But Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey says she doesn't expect the ticket to go on-sale until May 2023. Originally planned for January 1st, budget disputes between the federal and state governments have held up the initiative.

The government has pitched the €49 Deutschlandticket as a way of reducing emissions, encouraging the switch from cars to public transport, and battling rising cost of living. But questions remain over how the ticket will be funded after 2023. 

Currently, the ticket's €49 introductory price will be guaranteed for the first year, but starting the second year, it could be raised to compensate for inflation. After two years, the success - or failure - of the ticket will be reviewed and its long-term fate will be decided. But German cities are calling for more clarity - sooner. 

The Association of German Cities says the agreement is good news and that the ticket should be introduced as soon as possible. But General Manager Helmut Dedy says it will be hard work for cities and municipalities to roll the ticket out – as it involves completely reorganizing the fare system and how tickets are sold.

He’s also calling for the funding agreement to be guaranteed for longer than just 2023, with more investment in public transport in general. “The federal and state governments will have to keep talking about this now. 2024 is simply too late,” he said.

READ ALSO: OPINION: Why Germany’s €49 travel ticket is far better than the previous €9 ticket

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