Public transport in danger: cuts threaten despite increasing demand!

Public transport in danger: cuts threaten despite increasing demand!

The alarm bells ring in Germany's public transport! Despite an unprecedented increase in demand for buses and trains, some federal states are on the brink of financial disaster. From December there are drastic cuts in the transport offer, and that could hit millions of commuters hard!

In Schleswig-Holstein, deletions of amplifier trains and connections in outskirts and on weekends have already been announced. Transport Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen expressed his concerns: "The unsubscribe - even if it only affects marginal times and less than 1.5 percent of all connections in the country - remain painful and are certainly not the signal that we want to send". But that's just the tip of the iceberg! Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia are also faced with similar cuts that are already planned for the timetable change in December 2025.

Financial bottlenecks force to drastic measures

The reasons for these alarming developments are clear: the operating costs explode! Between 2019 and 2021, personnel costs rose by 13 percent, while the material costs even skyrocketed by almost 40 percent. The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) warns: "It is not just about cancellations from already running, but also about no longer financed additional orders". The regionalization means have to be increased by three billion euros annually to maintain the existing offer, but the federal budget negotiations have so far not been relieved.

The situation becomes even more precarious, because ticket prices rise! An average increase of 7.5 percent is expected in Berlin and Brandenburg, and price adjustments will also be in sight in Hesse, Bremen, Munich and the large NRW traffic associations from January. The Germany ticket, which will become more expensive from 2025, could further tighten the situation. The high demand has already brought public transport to its limits, and a reduction in the offer could plunge the situation into chaos!