Deutschlandticket will be more expensive: From 2026, the price will rise to 63 euros

Starting next year, the Deutschlandticket will cost €63 instead of the current €58, corresponding to a price increase of approximately 8.6 percent. The Conference of State Transport Ministers agreed on this at a special meeting in Munich on Thursday. "We have made a unanimous decision," said Christian Bernreiter (61), Bavaria's minister and chairman of the committee.

This means that passengers now effectively have to bear the additional costs because the federal and state governments were unable to agree on how to finance the additional costs. However, both sides will continue to pay €1.5 billion each for the service over the next few years. In the future, ticket prices will be linked to some kind of inflation factor until 2030, Bernreiter said. Price increases should then be based on developments in wage and energy costs, for example.

State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport, Stefan Schnorr (62), called it a good day for Germany and local public transport. "The ticket is secured for the next five years." The states also responded positively. "One could say that the Deutschlandticket is the best political project of recent years," said Saarland Transport Minister Petra Berg (61).

The federal and state governments have emphasized in the past that they intend to maintain the popular nationwide local transport ticket beyond 2025. However, the financing of future additional costs has been controversial. The ticket started at €49 in 2023, but now costs €58. Nevertheless, it is still a loss-making business for regional transport associations, as many commuter season tickets were previously significantly more expensive.

Federal Finance Minister and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil (47) said in Berlin that it was important to him that federal funding be made permanent. The transport ministers must now clarify how much responsibility the regional transport associations will have. "Despite all the fiscal challenges we will face in the coming years, I stand by my word and, as Finance Minister, will ensure that the federal government can finance its share."

The passenger association Pro Bahn (Pro Bahn) criticized the move even before the €63 price was agreed upon. "Politicians have promised price stability for the next few years and are now breaking their promise to passengers," association head Detlef Neuß (70) told the "Rheinische Post" newspaper. Many people would likely then drop out of the Deutschlandticket "and the effect of the increase will fizzle out," Neuß warned.

In the federal government's coalition agreement, the CDU/CSU and SPD agreed to continue the Deutschlandticket beyond 2025: "The share of user financing will be increased gradually and in a socially acceptable manner starting in 2029." There was no mention of a price increase starting in 2026. State Secretary Schnorr does not see this as a breach of the coalition agreement, but rather as a signal for implementation.