An experimental ride: Germans explore low-price cross-country ticket
On Saturday Germany’s railway stations were frequented by more travelers than usual: a few days ago a new low-fare ticket was launched by a state initiative. Local trains and public transport can be used across the country for the ticket price of nine Euros per month.
Many took to popular routes, such as the Baltic sea or the Island Sylt. While some travelers were disappointed by the high number of passengers, others took the opportunity to travel these routes for the first time.
Only long-distance and high-speed trains, or services operated by private providers such as FlixTrain or FlixBus are excluded from the “9-Euro-Ticket”. The offer is going on from June to August.
Alongside a Germany wide fuel discount, the 9-euro ticket is intended to provide financial relief for consumers given further increases in the cost of living and energy. In addition, transport politicians hope that more commuters will switch to buses and trains. According to Deutsche Bahn, the company had already sold 2.7 million 9-euro tickets by June 1.
Meanwhile, customer associations and consumer advocates have warned that there will be a rush, especially in the summer and vacation months, on regional trains to the coast or the Alps, for example, which the companies will not be able to cope with. A heavy accident of a local train in southern Germany, claiming at least five dead on Friday, overshadowed the public enthusiasm on the initiative. The cause of the accident, however, was not yet known.