Germany announces an increase in the price of the Deutschlandticket in the year 2026, a decision deemed as regrettable.
In a recent development, the price of Germany's all-around travel pass, the Deutschlandticket, is set to rise by €5 to €63 per month, starting from January 1st, 2026. This decision was reached at a conference of transport ministers from the German states in Munich.
The rise in costs, including wages and energy, has led to this price increase. The news comes after a financial dispute between the federal and state governments, which has resulted in a predicted financing gap of €800 million for 2026 without the price increase.
The Deutschlandticket, initially introduced as the "49-euro ticket" in May 2023, has already seen a price hike to €58 by the beginning of this year. The Pro-Rail Alliance has criticised the price increase, stating that it will offend many people and regretting that both the federal and state governments refuse to allocate more funds to the travel pass.
On a different note, the federal government recently announced plans to provide additional funding for commuter allowance, a tax break for people who drive to work. Meanwhile, Merz's government has plans to cut a levy on gas used in German households, but has scrapped a tax cut on electricity for households that had previously been promised.
Bavaria's transport minister has suggested developing a cost index this autumn that will consider wage and energy costs. The latest agreement among the state transport ministers is intended to create a transparent process for future price adjustments, in line with the coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU, and SPD, which states that the price should only be increased gradually and in a socially acceptable manner from 2029.
From 2027, the price of the Deutschlandticket will be adjusted periodically according to a fixed mechanism. This new mechanism was not detailed in the reports. It is worth noting that the Deutschlandticket is heavily subsidized by both the federal and state governments, and its use by around 14 million people has caused significant losses for transport companies.
Before the transport ministers' conference, state ministers accused the federal government of breaking their promise about the stability of the Deutschlandticket price. However, the details of this alleged broken promise were not disclosed. The article reporting these developments was made by DPA.
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