Starting May 1, passengers can purchase the Deutschlandticket for €49 per month, a subscription that can be canceled monthly. The ticket allows use of local public transport throughout Germany: buses, regional trains, subways, and much more. Long-distance trains and buses are currently excluded. Flix, the parent company of Flixbus and Flixtrain, wants to change this and has commissioned the research institute IGES to investigate the effects of including long-distance buses in the Deutschlandticket. Particular attention was paid to economic viability, the service structure, potential environmental impacts, and social aspects.
Deutschlandticket: Study recommends pilot phase with long-distance buses
The study concludes that the integration of long-distance buses would increase the attractiveness of the Deutschlandticket, especially among younger and lower-income individuals. The option to use long-distance buses would convince 27 percent of those with an income of €1,000 to €2,000, who are not actually interested in the Deutschlandticket, to purchase it. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, the number is even higher at 47 percent.
The measure would also mean a direct expansion of regional transport services, strengthening existing rail connections and connecting regions not previously connected to rail.
The study calculated the economic viability of integrating long-distance buses based on various scenarios and found additional revenue from the measure in eight of nine model assumptions. In the middle scenario, an additional €174 million flows to the state. The amount of CO2 saved also varies greatly depending on the respective assumptions. In the middle scenario, 67,000 tons of CO2 are emitted less per year.
The study authors conclude that the integration of long-distance buses "can be beneficial for both long-distance bus operators and the sponsor of the Deutschlandticket (...) in almost all calculated scenarios." This could achieve the Federal Minister of Transport's target of 15-20 million Deutschlandtickets sold by 2023. To improve the data basis, the study recommends implementing a pilot phase with subsequent evaluation.
