“All stumbling blocks cleared”
DB regional boss sees the 49-euro ticket ready to go
1/10/2023 4:02 am
The start date of the new Germany ticket has not yet been officially set, but DB Regio has given the go-ahead for the introduction. After a long dispute between the federal and state governments, the last hurdles have been removed, says Board Member Palla. There will also be no thinning of the timetable.
The Bahn board member and CEO of DB Regio, Evelyn Palla, sees the hurdles for the introduction of the 49-euro ticket cleared. “Of course, all financial, collective bargaining and legal issues, including those with the EU, must first be clarified. But I don’t see any more stumbling blocks here,” said Palla in an interview with the newspapers of the Funke media group. The new Deutschlandticket ensures that local public transport becomes easier. “In doing so, we eliminate a competitive advantage of the car,” said Palla.
However, the new Germany ticket will probably not be able to match the extremely high demand for the 9-euro ticket: “The ticket will be a great success, even if the demand will not be quite as high as for the 9-euro ticket due to the higher price last summer,” Palla predicted. Sufficient capacities are available for the expected demand, since the greatest demand is to be expected in the metropolises. “We have the largest range there and can continue to increase the number of seats,” explained the regional boss.
In metropolitan areas, every second person would grab it
According to the report, Palla does not anticipate a reduction in local rail passenger transport. “Cancellations must be announced in advance. I am not aware of any discussions on this. I therefore do not expect any thinning out in 2023 either,” said Palla, after transport companies had recently warned of reductions due to the increased costs.
At the beginning of November, the federal and state governments agreed on financing a successor to the 9-euro ticket from the summer. This monthly subscription for local transport is expected to start on April 1st and will be offered for 49 euros a month. The federal and state governments want to share the additional costs of an estimated three billion euros a year. According to a study by the management consultancy PWC, almost every second person in large cities with over one million inhabitants is willing to buy a ticket, and in small towns every third person.