Following a price increase at the start of the year, the number of users of the Deutschlandticket has declined by more than one million. This is according to findings from a market research study conducted by the Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (VDV) and Deutsche Bahn, as reported by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
The 49-euro ticket, introduced in May 2023, had previously seen a steady increase in users, reaching 14.5 million in December 2024. However, the price hike to 58 euros in January resulted in a drop to 13.4 million users.
While monthly fluctuations are not uncommon for the nationwide public transport pass, the latest quarterly figures suggest a potential turning point. After 14.2 million users in the last quarter of 2024, the number fell to 13.5 million in the first quarter of 2025.
The market research attributes more than half of this decline – approximately 430,000 tickets – to the price increase. If sales figures confirm this, it would still be better than initially anticipated, with projections having forecast a decrease of up to 9 percent of users, compared to the current approximately 6 percent.
Notably, the job ticket segment experienced a significant downturn, with numbers falling by around 16 percent to 2.2 million. The industry had hoped for a substantial boost from companies covering employee travel costs. Furthermore, uptake among young people aged 14 to 29 saw a sharp decline of over 36 percent.
In response to this subdued demand, the industry is calling for an end to abrupt price increases and advocating for “moderate, comprehensible price adjustments” potentially linked to an index. Securing long-term funding from federal and state governments is also deemed crucial, as current arrangements are only in place until the end of the year pending finalized budget negotiations.
Alexander Möller, VDV Managing Director for Public Transport, emphasized the need for sustained commitment to the Deutschlandticket’s success, stating, “If the Deutschlandticket is to become a success for transport policy, it must now be permanently anchored – in financing, in design and with a nationwide promotion”.
