Deutschlandticket Funding Approved for 2025

[LNW-GW Joint]

It seems the legislation guaranteeing funding for this national ticket in Germany was only approved today by the Bundestag.
Funding of €3 billion, with half from federal funds and half from the states, will allow the ticket to be priced at €58 per month.

With German elections in February, budgetary problems and a generally unstable coalition situation, it is not certain the ticket will survive into 2026.

MSN

The bill to finance the Deutschlandticket into 2025 was approved in the Bundesrat, the upper house of parliament, hours after passing in the lower house.
It attracted support from Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) and his Green coalition partners, as well as from the opposition conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the pro-business Free Democrats.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing said the pass was not only "practical and attractively priced," but also "a digitalization offensive for local public transport."
However, the future of the subsidized ticket is uncertain after the coming year.

 

[yorksrob]

It's good that it's surviving thus far though. It's ending would give succor to those who would decry any improvements over here.

 

[nwales58]

As the new federal government will be CDU-led (who dislike any subsidy that does not benefit industry), plus others (if opinion polls are right that probably include the greens, who are likely to insist Deutschlandticket stays), we should know when the coalition agreement is finalised. Which could be months after the election.

Until then the lack of decision-making putting infrastructure projects in limbo (road as well as public transport) is a massive problem.

My guess is a trade-off between that Eur 3bn per year being spent on subsidy OR on infrastructure. We need the refurbishment and new capacity more than the passenger subsidy, I fear.

 

[Cloud Strife]

As the new federal government will be CDU-led

One of the interesting puzzles of the election is who the CDU-CSU Union would prefer to go into coalition with. The FDP look likely to lose their parliamentary representation, meaning that it's going to be a straight choice between the Greens and the SPD. The Union want certain things, like nuclear power plants reopened, and the SPD are much more likely to agree to that than the Greens. A weak, badly beaten SPD may also be a better partner politically, as the Greens are making some inroads in Bavaria and the CSU may well want to weaken them there. The SPD, in comparison, are not a threat in Bavaria.

Until then the lack of decision-making putting infrastructure projects in limbo (road as well as public transport) is a massive problem.

It'll be interesting to see if the CDU commit to the 17th Phase of the A100 in Berlin in their manifesto. The 16th phase is nearly ready, meaning that there's space to finish up the A100.