Deutschlandticket lost 1 million subscribers before price rise

According to a new report from the VDV and Deutsche Bahn, one million Deutschlandticket holders cancelled their subscription ahead of the January price rise.

Deutschlandticket price rise lost customers

According to a market research report by the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) and Deutsche Bahn, the Deutschlandticket price rise in January had a significant impact on subscription numbers.

In December 2024, 14,5 million people had a Deutschlandticket subscription. In January 2025, when the ticket price increased from 49 euros to 58 euros per month, subscription numbers fell to 13,4 million. The figures were first reported by the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper.

Since the Deutschlandticket was introduced in May 2023, subscriptions have fluctuated seasonally. For example, more people use the ticket in the winter and opt for cycling in the warmer months. As such, the VDV and Deutsche Bahn attributed only around half of the subscription cancellations between December and January, approximately 430.000 tickets, to the price increase.

In February, the VDV reported that subscription figures had stabilised following the price rise. Whether this trend continued between March and the summer months will be made clear in the upcoming sales figures. The association has forecast a 9 percent decrease in subscriptions.

German ministers considering future of the Deutschlandticket

In the meantime, Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schneider (CDU) must agree with transport ministers representing the 16 federal states on how they will work together to sustainably fund the Deutschlandticket in the coming years.

According to a paper written by the CDU/SPD’s Transport and Infrastructure, Construction and Housing Working Group, the ticket will continue to cost 58 euros per month until 2027. The CDU-SPD government’s coalition agreement went further, promising a price freeze at 58 euros per month until 2029, but didn’t outline a detailed funding plan.

Schneider has said that the CDU want the ticket to be available in the long term. Speaking to SWR on July 1, Schneider said that he sees three potential directions for the Deutschlandticket. First, federal states contribute between 400 and 800 million euros, while the federal government contributes 1,5 billion euros. Second, the monthly ticket price will increase by between 5 and 7 euros, or the third option, to scrap the ticket entirely.