Traffic - Where money for the railroads should come from
The Bahn desperately needs money: Finance Minister Christian Lindner has therefore rekindled the debate about a price increase for the Germany Ticket. "Sometime politics has to decide whether we want to invest in the tracks or if the price of 49 Euro should remain," Lindner told the "Welt am Sonntag."
The price of the Germany Ticket has been a topic of contention for some time. The federal government and the states each subsidize the offer to the tune of 1.5 billion euros per year. A price guarantee from the federal government and the states only exists for this year. The ticket could therefore be more expensive for users starting in 2025.
"Overpriced Ticket" for broken rails?
The SPD is going head-to-head with its liberal coalition partner over the Germany Ticket: SPD Fraktionsvice Detlef Müller told dpa that the Germany Ticket is an "absolute success story." "A crucial factor in this success is the predictability and price stability of the offer. Both should not be put on the table during budget negotiations," Müller said.
Union Fraktions Vice Ulrich Lange sees his fears confirmed that the funding for "the overpriced nationwide public transport ticket" will now be lacking at the Schieneninfrastruktur. "It brings nothing to offer a ticket if the rails are broken and the trains don't run," the opposition politician said.
The Bahn needs billions
The upcoming comprehensive renovation of the Bahn requires billions of investments from the cash-strapped federal government. By 2030, the corporation plans to fundamentally renovate 40 heavily loaded tracks to become punctual and reliable again. A reduction in funding for the Germany Ticket would therefore only be a drop in the bucket.
Thuringia's Minister-President Bodo Ramelow therefore has other ideas: In order to sustainably modernize the railway, he demands in "Spiegel": "At least 100 billion euros must be mobilized over ten years to modernize the core of the railway." On the question of whether he would call for a special fund like for the Bundeswehr, he said: "That would be my approach, yes. But it should be a solution independent of the federal budget."
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) had already suggested creating an infrastructure fund a few months ago, in which financial resources for rail, roads, and waterways would be bundled for several years. Private capital providers should also be able to participate. However, this project has not yet been implemented.
Higher prices and fewer connections
Ramelow criticized in light of unclear financing conditions the threatened thinning out of the rail network, which "Spiegel" reported on this week. Instead of more train traffic, the railway is reportedly facing higher ticket prices and fewer connections on less well-used lines in the future. According to the railway's own statements, this is due to planned track access fees, which could significantly increase the cost of long-distance train journeys starting in 2025. The railway emphasized, however, that "there are currently no concrete plans to cancel" the connections mentioned in "Spiegel."
- The debate about a potential price increase for the Germany Ticket is causing tension between Finance Minister Christian Lindner and Detlef Müller, the SPD's Fraktionsvice.
- According to Müller, the predictability and price stability of the Germany Ticket are crucial factors in its success, and these aspects should not be compromised during budget negotiations.
- In contrast, Lange from the opposition sees a lack of funding for the overpriced nationwide public transport ticket, as the Bahn requires investments to address issues with broken rails and unreliable trains.
- The upcoming renovation of the Bahn, which requires billions of investments from the federal government, has prompted Thuringia's Minister-President Bodo Ramelow to propose mobilizing at least 100 billion euros over ten years for railway modernization.
- Ramelow suggests creating a special fund, similar to the one for the Bundeswehr, to secure financial resources for rail, roads, and waterways, with private capital providers also able to participate.
- Christian Lindner's proposal to increase the price of the Germany Ticket has sparked concerns about higher prices and fewer connections on less well-used lines, as reported by "Spiegel" this week.
- The Bahn emphasizes that there are currently no concrete plans to cancel the connections mentioned in the "Spiegel" report, but the financing conditions for the rail network remain unclear.
