After much toing and froing, an anxious wait and the worrying possibility that the scheme might fall at the final hurdle, the Bundesrat has at last given its approval to the 9-euro ticket, meaning the scheme can kick off as planned on June 1, with the presale starting as soon as this weekend. 

Dispute resolved: the 9-euro ticket is coming to Germany this June

Although some federal states had been threatening to block the 9-euro ticket due to a dispute over its financing, on Friday at last the matter was closed: the scheme to offer discounted public transport in Germany for three months was given the seal of approval.

The law was passed by the Bundestag on Thursday evening, with the federal government promising the states, among other things, 2,5 billion euros to compensate them for loss of income due to the scheme. The states had been pushing for more money. 

The Bundesrat’s approval therefore paves the way for transport associations across Germany to start presales for the tickets. Bus and train operators all around the country have spent the last few weeks putting the necessary technical bits in place to be able to sell the tickets via ticket machines and offices.

The majority of providers, including Deutsche Bahn, have said they will start sales on Monday, May 23. Some will begin a little earlier, on Saturday, while sales in Hamburg are scheduled to begin on Friday. 

Ticket gets Germany talking about public transport

The special ticket grants the holder unlimited travel on regional transport across Germany in June, July and August for just 9 euros per month. As well as relieving consumers from the high price of energy, the scheme is designed to encourage more people to use public transport rather than driving. 

Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing has described the ticket as a “huge opportunity” for climate-friendly mobility and said that the scheme had already succeeded in its aim of awareness: “The whole of Germany is talking about public transport,” he said.