Who benefits most from the 9-euro ticket – and who doesn’t want it at all

Crowded platforms, full trains, punks on Sylt and a never-ending chain of delays: the bumpy start of the nine-euro ticket is burned into many people’s memories. But the ticket also appears to be a resounding success: 21 million people have, according to the Association of Transport Companies (VDV) previously bought the cheap ticket. In addition, there are another ten million people who have received it automatically through subscription tickets. Climate-friendly and cheap – does the ticket live up to its promise?

As early as June there was “a significant increase in passengers,” explains a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn when asked by FOCUS Online. Overall, the local trains were ten to 15 percent more frequented in the first month than before the corona pandemic. Right from the start, it became apparent where the cheap ticket was particularly popular:

• As expected, the North Sea coast and islands like Sylt were one of the first destinations for day trippers. As “DW“ reports, routes via Berlin and Brandenburg towards the Baltic Sea were also very popular.
• Also in the south, many travelers use according to “BR24The discounted ticket for longer distances with regional trains: Classic destinations such as Salzburg or Neuschwanstein Castle, where there were large streams of visitors, especially during the pandemic, have seen growth since the introduction of the nine-euro ticket.
• The situation is similar with the longer regional routes: Connections between Nuremberg and Munich or Nuremberg and Leipzig have been used much more since June, reports “BR24“. Also on the routes Cologne-Düsseldorf and to Hamm, so “WDR‘ More people were out and about.
• In addition to typical excursion destinations at the weekend, the ticket is mainly used in metropolitan regions such as Munich, Hamburg or the Ruhr area.

The decisive factor is that these destinations can be approached from large cities – the connections here are generally good. In the country, however, the ticket makes little difference because there are few connections anyway. In a ranking of theAlliance pro rail“Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania come off worst: Local public transport is particularly “thinned out” here.

That “ZDF“ took a closer look: Especially in districts in Lower Bavaria, in the eastern Ore Mountains or in the Rhine-Main area, local public transport is particularly poorly developed. In some places, people wait several hours for the bus to the next larger city. The discounted ticket is therefore not a real alternative to the car for these citizens.

So it is hardly surprising that according to “ZDFIn some districts, a particularly large number of people refuse the ticket: These include parts of Franconia, the Mecklenburg Lake District and East Frisia. This corresponds to a survey by Association of German Transport Companies (VDV). More than a third of those surveyed stated that a lack of usage reasons, cumbersome connections and a preference for the car are the main reasons against buying the ticket.

Since the beginning of June, the number of traffic jams in the cities has also decreased. This is shown by an analysis by the traffic data specialist Tomtom for the German Press Agency. Since June, the level of congestion has decreased in 23 of 26 cities surveyed. The data “suggests that this decline is related to the introduction of the 9-euro ticket,” said Tomtom traffic expert Ralf-Peter Schäfer. “Commuters lost less time driving to and from work in June than in May in almost all cities surveyed.”

“We see effects from the nine-euro ticket,” confirms Allister Loder from the Chair of Traffic Engineering at the Technical University of Munich in an interview with FOCUS Online. He and his team are currently investigating how the nine-euro ticket will affect people’s travel behavior in Munich.

Here the effect can be felt in road traffic, especially during the week: “On weekdays and Saturdays there was a decrease in traffic from May to June. On Sundays and public holidays we are at a pre-corona level, as traffic data from the city of Munich shows,” says Loder.

At the beginning of the validity period, there were still relatively few effects on car traffic. “Meanwhile, however, a positive effect on the flow of traffic can be seen in almost all cities in Germany,” said Schäfer. This is also reflected in Air quality index of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) down: Based on the measured concentration of several pollutants, this calculates how good the air is in German cities. The air quality is good to very good, especially at the weekend.

How do less traffic during the week, more day trippers at the weekend and better air quality in the cities go together? One thesis: Many people use the bargain ticket primarily in their free time. This is also supported by the fact that one fifth of the people who bought the cheap ticket had hardly ever used public transport before.

Annett Steindorf, Head of Department for Environment and Transport at the Federal Environment Agency, emphasizes to FOCUS Online that the nine-euro ticket naturally has a good effect, “because it is a simple model and reduces hurdles. That is just good for the first access to public transport.” This is also confirmed by the VDV survey. The low price would have lured most users to buy.

According to Loder, the sometimes opaque tariff jungle in Germany is an incentive for many people. “Some users are switching to public transport in Bavaria because you can travel worry-free and cheaply across the borders of the network,” explains the traffic expert. “If it’s cheap, you drive. The willingness to change is there.”

“The demand for the nine-euro ticket is not really surprising, even if the original intention of the ticket has been completely forgotten.” Markus Pillmayer, Professor at the Faculty of Tourism at Munich University of Applied Sciences, told FOCUS Online the ticket is intended to relieve the population and not to travel cheaply through the republic or to attractive holiday regions.

One Current evaluation by the Federal Statistical Office confirms that the ticket is mainly used in leisure time: Compared to 2019, significantly more people use the train at the weekend. In June alone, the number of passengers grew by up to 83 percent. The peak according to the data analysis: June 8th, right in the middle of the Whitsun holidays.

However, long-distance commuters got nothing: the nine-euro ticket and the associated relief do not apply to them.

Theoretically, according to a calculation of the “MDR“ Up to 21.3 million tons of CO² can be saved – but only if all commuters who travel by car or motorbike would use the offer. When asked, Anette Steindorf from the Federal Environment Agency explained that CO²– Savings still too little data available.

According to Steindorf, the question is probably more whether people in Germany with a permanently cheap offer generally switch to public transport – or only use it in addition to their car. “For example, if you still drive to work every day, but use the ticket for additional trips at the weekend, the CO2 savings are questionable,” says the head of the department

Steindorf emphasized to FOCUS Online that it would be difficult to continue: “The nine-euro ticket is good in itself, but financing for the infrastructure expansion is necessary. There were more delays this year than ever before, and some trains had to be cleared.” So you couldn’t just let the ticket continue.

Meanwhile, the federal government is considering continuing the offer as a so-called “climate ticket”. Details are not yet known. What is certain, however, is that a discounted ticket for local transport is to be decided in mid-July as part of the climate protection program. This includes both a monthly as well as an annual ticket.Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) sees the ticket as a “huge success”.

The VDV, on the other hand, demands the 69-euro ticket: This should then apply nationwide and be on sale from September 1st. Here, too, access would still be as low as with the previous model: anyone who buys the ticket in their place of residence can also use the buses and trains in other cities and communities.

However, the actual goal of relieving the burden on citizens due to increased commodity prices and inflation was not achieved. Because despite the nine-euro ticket and fuel discount, inflation in Germany remains at a record level.

The Federal Environment Agency could imagine an affordable ticket, but: “At the same time, money has to flow into the infrastructure in order to make the switch from road to rail a good thing and to make it acceptable.”

In any case, the Ministry of Transport wants to take a close look at the effects of the ticket: After the nine-euro ticket expires, a detailed evaluation is to take place in the autumn. The research group led by Allister Loder also wants to present the first results at the end of July.

For many people, the nine-euro ticket is the cheapest option for switching to public transport – provided you live in a well-connected region. Popularity has not gone away, despite excessive delays. At the same time, it currently looks as if the offer has missed its actual goal – relieving the burden on citizens.

In addition, significantly more people are permanently switching from cars to public transport in order to achieve comprehensive CO2 savings. In order for this to become more attractive, however, money must first be invested in expanding the infrastructure. Even if the federal government’s climate protection program is a successor to the nine-euro ticket, it is questionable whether the switch from road to rail will happen so quickly.

See more: