The Deutschlandticket will remain, but will be more expensive: The state transport ministers agreed at their special meeting in Munich on Thursday that the nationwide monthly public transport pass will cost 63 euros starting next January – five euros more than before. Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) welcomed the agreement on the continued existence of the ticket and its "long-term security." The German Transport Association (VCD), however, criticized the price increase, fearing a "wave of cancellations."
As Bavarian Minister of Transport Christian Bernreiter (CSU) stated after the special meeting, the transport ministers unanimously agreed on the price increase. Currently, the Deutschlandticket costs €58. The price increase from January thus amounts to a good 8.6 percent. An index for the future price development of the ticket from 2027 onwards is to be set this year, which will be based, among other things, on wage and energy price developments – an "inflation factor," as Bernreiter called it.
The Bavarian Minister of Transport described the agreement as a "major achievement" that would end the "stalemate" surrounding the Deutschlandticket, the financing of which has been the subject of repeated disputes since its introduction in May 2023. The agreement is based on the federal and state governments each continuing to contribute €1.5 billion per year to the financing of the Deutschlandticket until 2030.
Baden-Württemberg's Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Green Party) welcomed the success of reaching a compromise. "We had hoped for more funding from the federal government to keep the price lower," he added. However, compared to the vast majority of monthly subscriptions, the price remains attractive.
Federal Transport Minister Schnieder emphasized that the long-term security opens up "great opportunities for the ticket offering." "Employers, in particular, who were still unsure can now offer their employees a significantly discounted job ticket without having to worry about having to change their systems every year," he explained. "We hope this will lead to another significant increase in subscribers."
The VCD, however, criticized that the price increase would "undermine the trust of millions of passengers." The price increase from €49 to €58 at the beginning of 2025 had already caused one million people to cancel their subscriptions. Now, "another wave of cancellations" is to be feared.
Julia Verlinden, deputy chair of the Green Party parliamentary group in the Bundestag, called on the federal and state governments to work together to ensure "that the ticket becomes even more attractive." New customers would then also generate increased revenue. "This requires a ticket guarantee for a subscription price of €49, free travel for children, and discounted subscriptions for low-income earners and trainees," she demanded.
The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), however, stated that the price increase alone would not close the "financing gap for 2026." However, it is positive that there is now certainty about "the framework for the Deutschlandticket until 2030," said VDV President Ingo Wortmann. It is now necessary to focus more on advertising the ticket and further simplifying fares in public transport, thus contributing to "closing the unclosed financing gap through increased sales."
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