- Hamburg student ticket to be free for the long term
Despite the announced price increase for the Germany ticket, the Hamburg Senate promises Hamburg students free nationwide use of buses and trains in the long term. The free HVV Germany ticket for Hamburg students will be introduced on September 1 without a time limit, a spokesperson for the school authority announced. This means it will also be maintained in 2025.
Hamburg's students can already travel for free in the HVV from August 28
From September 1, all students living in Hamburg can use long-distance and regional transport nationwide for free. Around 210,000 boys and girls are entitled to the free ride. They only need to order a digital chip card. Those over 16 must upload a school certificate. In Hamburg, students can already travel for free in the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (HVV) from August 28 to 31, i.e. from the last vacation day. The HVV spoke of a "goodwill period".
The Senate expects that 168,000 students, i.e. 80 percent of those entitled, will use the offer. The additional cost for the Hamburg treasury this year is almost 14 million euros. For the next year, the Senate calculates with almost 99 million euros based on the 49-euro price for a regular ticket.
Germany ticket will be more expensive
However, the transport ministers of the federal states have already announced a price increase for next year. At their conference in October, they want to set the new price. The federal government has decided that its own subsidy may not be used for discounts such as free student tickets. A partial amount of the so-called regionalization funds for 2025 in the amount of 350 million euros will only be paid out in 2026. Initially, the federal states must prove that they have used the funds from the previous year appropriately, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit explained at the beginning of July.
Free regulation remains
This means that Hamburg will incur further costs. If the Germany ticket were to become 10 euros more expensive, for example, the Senate would have to contribute an additional 20 million euros. The spokesperson for the school authority merely stated with regard to a possible price increase: "Possible changes in the ticket price would have to lead to an adjustment of these financial plans."
Moderate interest in zero tariff among poorer families
It is still unclear whether 80 percent of Hamburg's students will order the free ticket. Since the introduction of the Germany ticket in May 2023, around 42,000 children and young people from poorer families have been able to receive it for free. However, not even half (45 percent) make use of the offer, according to the Senate.
Free ticket to make students climate protectors
The Senate justifies the fact that all Hamburg students, regardless of whether they come from poor or wealthy families, should be able to travel by bus and train nationwide for free with the following argument: "The possibility of free use makes the use of public transport a daily and natural part of children and young people's mobility behavior. The satisfied bus and train users of today are motivated climate protectors of today and tomorrow."
Hamburg's FDP member of parliament, Sami Musa, inquired of the Senate in a minor interpellation whether any negative effects, such as a decrease in cycling, had been observed following the previous reductions for students. The response: No data is collected on how students travel to school - on foot, by bicycle, or by car.
FDP: Student ticket as election campaigning for Red-Green
Musa, who generally welcomes the free ticket, criticized the timing and manner of announcing the decision about a month before the district and European elections: "The fact that this measure was particularly highlighted on election posters shows once again that Red-Green only does something for the citizens when elections are approaching, in the years before, the Senate hardly moved in this direction at all."
The Commission has also been consulted on the potential impact of the proposed price increase for the Germany ticket. Regarding the free HVV Germany ticket for Hamburg students, the Commission expressed its thoughts on the financial implications for the city.
