Germany-wide public transport ticket saves emissions despite price increase – govt report

Germany’s nationwide flat-rate public transport ticket continues to reduce transport sector emissions by around 3 million tonnes of CO2 annually despite price increases, said an interim government report on the so-called "Deutschlandticket". The 63-euro monthly ticket, which allows passengers to use all regional and local public transport across the country, had resulted in people completing a share of their journeys by public transport instead of passenger cars. This had remained stable as the ticket got more expensive at the start of 2026, according to the evaluation.The report, based on data collected between mid-2024 and April 2026, is part of a bi-annual series of interim evaluations. A final report assessing the Deutschlandticket’s effects is expected in the first half of 2027.Germany's transport sector is lagging behind on decarbonisation and has repeatedly missed climate targets. With annual greenhouse gas emissions of around 140 million tonnes, transport accounts for around one fifth of Germany’s total emissions. Roughly 70 percent of transport emissions come from passenger car journeys, and public transport accounts for less than five percent. The “Germany ticket” has resulted in annual greenhouse gas savings of between 2.5 and 3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents, noted the report, which was written by the Institute of Applied Sciences (infas).The financing of the ticket has been a constant point of contention between the federal government and the states, which share the cost of the initiative. When it was formally introduced in April 2023, the ticket cost 49 euros per month. The price then rose to 58 euros in 2025 and 63 euros in 2026. The federal government – a coalition of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance and the Social Democrats (SPD) – pledged to extend the Deutschlandticket beyond its current funding cycle, and to raise the share of user financing from 2029 onwards.

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