The success was predictable. But not on the scale it actually was. Germans responded en masse to the government's offer of unlimited travel on the entire urban and regional rail network with a single ticket for just 9 euros.
TRAINS IN GERMANY FOR 9 EUROS
The highly discounted single ticket has led to a flood of requests, especially on weekends. This is especially true for trains where bicycles can be carried. The most popular routes are those to the Baltic Sea, metropolises like Hamburg and Berlin , and the Bremen area . The measure was introduced as a response, albeit a partial one, to the rising cost of living, which is causing hardship for many German families. In Hamburg alone, 56 passes were sold in just 24 hours after the initiative's launch (June 1, 2022).
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LOW-COST TRAINS IN GERMANY
The €9 trains, which run from Germany to Austria (Salzburg) and Switzerland (Schaffhausen), offer a two-fold advantage. First, they reduce a portion of families' summer budgets: it's not a huge amount, but it's an important signal, and transportation is a significant burden on family expenses, even in Germany. Second, an "all-inclusive" and unlimited €9 ticket is a strong incentive to choose the train as an alternative to driving. And this is a concrete contribution to sustainable mobility.
Cover image: nitpicker / Shutterstock.com
GETTING AROUND BY TRAIN:
- How to save on train tickets
- Book Week: In the Netherlands, anyone who brings a novel on the train travels for free during Book Weekend.
- Commuters, train travel is on the rise. And they're rewarded with fewer services and higher costs.
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