VDV reports: Public transport passenger numbers continue to recover in 2023

According to calculations by the association VDV, around 9.5 billion passengers in Germany used buses and trains in 2023. This means that demand in the German public transport system continued to recover last year after years of pandemic-related declines. At the same time, the costs for transport companies for personnel, electricity, and diesel remained at a high level last year. In 2023, the industry paid an average of 57% more for its electricity and 54% more for diesel fuel compared to 2020. However, ticket prices, mainly due to the nine-euro ticket and the Germany ticket, fell by an average of over 23% industry-wide during the same period. According to VDV, high costs and falling revenues presented the industry with significant economic challenges.

VDV President Ingo Wortmann: "2023 was a year of recovery in terms of passenger numbers, with demand increasing by around 8% compared to the previous year. This is positive and closely linked to the introduction of the Germany ticket. On the other hand, subscribers of the Germany ticket mostly do not bring in additional revenue. The very affordable offer rather results in significant losses for the industry, which have to be compensated by the federal and state governments. The gap between ticket revenues and cost developments is getting bigger and bigger, so the economic pressure on the industry is extremely increasing. We need an honest and comprehensive debate about what public transport in Germany should achieve in the future and under what financial conditions it will be able to do so. Minimizing ticket prices while simultaneously maximizing the bus and train services to achieve climate protection goals in the transport sector will not add up as a total calculation. Or at least only with substantial additional investments from the federal and state governments."

95% satisfied with Germany Ticket

The industry considers the increase in passengers achieved through the Germany Ticket as a success and sees further growth potential. Among the approximately 11 million subscribers of the Germany Ticket, the offer is very well received: 95% of the people who own a Germany Ticket are overall satisfied with it.

“This shows that the introduction of the Germany Ticket was the right political move. We must now continue this successful path together with the federal and state governments. The recent decision by the Conference of Ministers of Transport to maintain the price stability of the Germany Ticket this year was correct and important for further increasing demand,” said Wortmann.

Aiming for Around 15 Million Germany Tickets as a Growth Target

From the industry's perspective, further growth potentials for the Germany Ticket can be tapped in the coming years, so that, according to the VDV, around 15 million tickets could be a realistic growth target under the corresponding conditions. For this, the industry needs the prerequisites and political decisions regarding price development, the reliability of the offer, the continuation of discounted job and student tickets, as well as the target group-specific development and the consistent marketing of the ticket.

For future price design, the VDV suggests developing an index on which the monthly price of the Germany Ticket can be determined in a timely, transparent manner based on actual price and cost developments.

“We recommend establishing a price development index for the Germany Ticket so that in the future we have a clear, transparent, and reliable process for price finding. As with most products, it is better if the price is oriented towards the market and general cost developments rather than political framework conditions. Citizens should not get the impression of an arbitrary annual price determination but rather see a comprehensible development. Even moderate price increases are more likely to be accepted if people understand why this is necessary,” explains Wortmann.