Germany ticket reaches 10 million mark and wins many new customers

The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) has taken stock of the Deutschlandticket. In total, around 10 million passengers have opted for the Deutschlandticket in its first full month of validity so far, according to the industry association. About half of them switched from existing subscriptions, and 4.3 million passengers who previously used public transport tickets based on individual trips or time-based passes switched to the low-cost 49-euro subscription, reports the VDV. The ticket has attracted around 700,000 new public transport users who previously usually did not travel by bus, tram, or train.According to VDV, the current orders and sales figures of the Deutschlandticket are within the framework predicted by the association.

"The number of those switching from existing subscriptions to the Deutschlandticket will increase significantly in the coming weeks. We are particularly pleased that we were able to convince over 4 million customers for the first time to opt for a subscription, who were previously traveling with individual trip tickets or non-subscription time-based passes. The number of new customers, around 700,000, is also a good initial result," says VDV President Ingo Wortmann.

Due to the additional demand under the Deutschlandticket, the capacity utilization in public transport has indeed increased, but this has not yet led to overloads, according to the accompanying press release. There is still a need for discussions between VDV, the federal government, and the states about nationwide improvements in public transport services.

"The actors involved are aware that the Deutschlandticket alone is not sufficient for many people who do not find an adequate bus and train service locally to switch to public transport on a permanent basis," says Wortmann.

The expansion and modernization of the entire public transport system must therefore remain at the top of the political agenda.