German Parliament Advances Funding for Germany’s Rail Pass for Next Year
On Friday, MPs from the ruling coalition, the CDU/CSU, FDP, and the Left Party voted in favor of the bill, with the AfD faction abstaining.
The bill amends the Regionalization Act, which regulates the federal support for public transportation (ÖPNV), to implement the Chancellor’s decision with the state premiers of November 6, 2023, to fund the Germany Rail Pass.
Additionally, the bill includes a “fiscal consolidation measure”: a sum of 350 million euros will not be disbursed in 2025, according to the draft, but only after the submission of evidence on the use of regionalization funds for 2025 in 2026.
Criticism comes from the Federal Council. The planned ban on using regular regionalization funds to finance a price reduction of the ticket at the state level, for example, as a school ticket for the Germany Rail Pass, is rejected by the states. Consequently, a consent of the Federal Council is still open as of Friday.