Long‑distance rail passengers in Germany will be spared a general increase in ticket prices for the next year, after Deutsche Bahn announced an unusual one‑year fare freeze despite rising fuel and energy costs.
Deutsche Bahn (DB) is freezing long-distance train ticket fares for the coming year starting on May 1st.
The decision was announced by Deutsche Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla over the weekend. Explaining the move, Palla said the freeze was designed to provide “security and stability” at a time when driving and flying are becoming more expensive due to higher fuel and kerosene prices.
She also linked the decision to DB’s ongoing restructuring and to a broader aim of ensuring that people in Germany can continue to afford to travel.
Ticket price freeze
For train travellers in Germany this means there will be no general increase in long‑distance fares on ICE, Intercity (IC) and Eurocity (EC) services for the next twelve months.
The decision applies to around 136 million long‑distance travellers and is an unusual move for Germany’s national railway operator to take.
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Ordinarily, DB unveils fare changes in the autumn ahead of the December timetable switch. Those announcementsoften also come with fare price rises.
That pattern was broken last year, when the usual increase was abandoned. Under Palla’s leadership, planned increases to popular Flex and Spar fares were also shelved last October.
As a result of the newly announced price freeze, rail passengers can be assured that ticket prices will not rise across the board again during the coming summer or even with the start of the next winter timetable in December.
But the fare freeze does not mean ticket prices are capped altogether. DB sells long‑distance tickets using a dynamic pricing system, meaning fares rise and fall depending on route and demand. For this reason, it’s often advantageous to buy long-distance rail tickets well in advance in Germany.
A railway under pressure
The announcement comes at a challenging moment for Germany’s railways. Long‑distance services continue to struggle with reliability, with punctuality at just over 60 percent.
Although there was a slight improvement in March compared with February, more than one in three trains still arrived late.
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Financially, Deutsche Bahn also remains under strain. The group reported a €2.3 billion loss after tax last year, including a €1.4 billion write‑down in long‑distance rail operations linked to deteriorating infrastructure.
While revenue and operating results have improved slightly, the company itself warns that major construction work will continue to affect services for years to come.
“A fresh start at Deutsche Bahn means taking on more responsibility and setting new priorities,” Palla told Bild as she announced the coming ticket price freeze.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
