Conference of state transport ministers: states are demanding more money from the federal government for local transport

The states have rejected their demands to get more money from the federal government for local transport. There is no financial scope for this, said Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) after the joint conference with the transport ministers of the federal states in Hohenschwangau near Füssen, Bavaria.

The background: Since the railway reform in the 1990s, the states have been responsible for local rail transport. You determine which connections are offered at which times. The federal government contributes to the financing with so-called regionalization funds. Around 13.7 billion euros are earmarked for this in the 2027 budget. Funding increases by 3 percent annually.

The financial situation has become worse due to rising route prices and rail tolls. According to a ruling by the European Court of Justice, a price cap previously applied to local transport is inadmissible. Toll costs are expected to rise sharply in the next few years. “There is a demand for additional money that we don’t have,” said Bernreiter. That's why the states want the federal government to compensate for the additional expenditure.

It doesn't look like that. Federal Transport Minister Bilger explained that the federal government is currently supporting local rail transport with 15 billion euros. This includes, among other things, the subsidies for the Deutschlandticket. Despite the rejection, Bilger tried to accommodate the state transport ministers. “I am aware that the burden remains high,” he said. What is now important is the efficient use of resources.

The Left Party sharply criticizes Bilger for his negative attitude. “Transportation Minister Bilger’s lack of funding commitments leaves behind a shambles for millions of local transport users who will have to pay for his failure in the future,” said the transport policy spokesman for the left-wing parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Vinzenz Glaser.

An initiative that the transport ministers removed from the agenda at the beginning of the conference caused a stir. The states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg had submitted the application for a “nationwide electronic occasional tariff”. They want to introduce a nationwide digital ticket for occasional public transport users. “Those who only occasionally travel by bus and train must be able to travel just as easily and under fair conditions as frequent travelers with the Deutschlandticket,” said North Rhine-Westphalia Transport Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens), justifying the initiative.

Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia want a ticket for the smartphone that records the start and end of the journey. The app is supposed to calculate the cheapest tariff. The model is the eezy.nrw offer in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to the NRW Ministry of Transport, 1.4 million journeys were billed with it in September. A crucial difference: There, users pay a maximum of the price of the Germany ticket. However, this is expressly not provided for in the occasional tariff. The Germany ticket currently costs 63 euros per month; in January 2027 the price will increase to 66.80 euros.

“We don’t want a price cap for the nationwide occasional ticket,” emphasized Krischer. “That would cannibalize the Germany ticket.” In North Rhine-Westphalia, most users of occasional tickets would not reach the upper price limit, he said. Because there is no price cap for the nationwide ticket, the introduction would not result in any additional costs.