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Germany’s most populous state plans discounted €49 ticket

Germany's most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia is considering introducing a cheaper version of the monthly €49 ticket which will be rolled out nationwide on May 1st - and is currently offering a number of special "add-ons".

Published: 30 March 2023 17:32 CEST
Cologne Hauptbahnhof
A woman walks up the escalator at Cologne Hauptbahnhof. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Roberto Pfeil

Speaking at a press conference days before the much-anticipated ticket goes on sale nationwide on April 3rd, North Rhine-Westphalian Transport Minister Oliver Krischer of the Greens said that an exact discount had not yet been decided.

It’s possible, however, that the northwestern state could follow the lead of central Hesse, where the monthly ticket will cost lower-income earners €31. Anyone who receives social benefits such as Bürgergeld (citizen’s income), Sozialgeld or Wohngeld (housing supplement) is set to qualify.

“Mobility must become easier and better for everyone and, above all, remain affordable,” said Krischer, who met with Germany’s federal transport ministers.

The €49 ticket, also dubbed the Deutschlandticket, will be able to be used on local and regional transport throughout Germany starting May 1st.

The follow-up to last summer’s popular €9 ticket, it is set to be valid for all second-class rides on buses, trams and underground trains (U-Bahns) as well as on suburban trains (S-Bahns), regional trains and regional express trains – but not on ICEs and other long-distance trains.

It will be possible to book the ticket online or on an app through a subscription which can be cancelled on a monthly basis. 

READ ALSO: What to know about Germany’s new €49 ticket app

Special student offer

Students should be among the groups to benefit from the €49 ticket – without having to pay twice for it on top of their regional, heavily-discounted Semesterticket – said Krischner. 

For them, a “bookable upgrade solution to the semester ticket” is initially planned – regardless of the state they live in. They will be able to pay the difference in the €49 fare and can then travel throughout Germany. 

Students in North Rhine-Westphalia are also likely to receive a discounted fare – a move several other states are also mulling over – although an exact price hadn’t been announced yet, said Kirschner.  

Germany’s Student Union is also pushing for all students to have access to a discounted ticket.

Special add-ons

But North Rhine-Westphalia does have a few concrete offerings up its sleeve which it will roll out as of July 1st.

A first class “supplementary ticket” will be offered for €69 per month, bringing the total fare to €118. A monthly bicycle subscription would also up the fare by €39. 

The add-on tickets offered in NRW will be available as a monthly subscription that can be cancelled at any point, just like the Deutschlandticket itself. 

Germany’s transport ministers have said they want to roll out these special offers nationwide – from extra fares for first class travel to bicycles nationwide – and are pushing for the core price of the Deutschlandticket to stay €49 for its first two years.

READ ALSO: State by state: Who will get a discount on Germany’s €49 transport ticket?

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WILDLIFE

Southern Germany sees explosion of mosquitos after floods

First flooding, and now a plague of mosquitos: hoards of the annoying bloodsuckers are spreading on Lake Constance. Here's what to expect if you are visiting the region.

Published: 24 June 2024 16:57 CEST
Southern Germany sees explosion of mosquitos after floods

After severe floods in southern Germany, conditions are ripe for mosquito populations to explode, according to an expert in the region. 

Rainer Bretthauer, environmental and climate protection officer at the city of Radolfzell on Lake Constance, told DPA that the popular holiday location is already seeing signs of a mosquito plague.

 Bretthauer said that the floods have offered perfect conditions for egg laying, resulting in masses of mosquito offspring.

People living around the area or visiting should be prepared, Bretthauer said. He suggested, for instance, wearing loose-fitting and long clothing.

Timing also plays a role when you’re outside. “They tend to bite during twilight hours when the temperature is higher than 18C,” he said. 

Mosquitos ‘not a bad thing for wildlife’

While growing mosquito hoards may ruin peoples’ camping trips and planned lake vacations, for local wildlife, the mosquitos are a good thing, according to the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (Nabu).

“All the insects that are now developing are a very important food source for many fish species and also for birds,” said Eberhard Klein from Nabu in Constance.

Around 50 species of mosquitoes are known in Germany. Some of them are counted among the so-called floodwater mosquitoes, which increasingly hatch after flooding.

According to experts, these mosquitos are particularly zealous blood hunters, as they have to reproduce quickly before the favourable conditions disappear again.

Floodwater mosquitoes like to lay their eggs on moist soil, often in riparian zones and floodplains. There they can survive in the soil for several years.

When these zones flood and the temperature is favourable, the eggs develop and hatch mosquitos. Therefore large-scale flooding, as seen recently in Southern Germany, can lead to mass hatching.

Mosquito borne illness is spreading to Europe as temperatures warm

Warming temperatures brought by human-caused climate change have allowed mosquito populations to extend further northward in Europe, including disease-carrying species that were previously limited to regions closer to the equator.

For example, the Asian tiger mosquito is not native to Europe but has already been observed in much of southern and central Europe, including Germany.

Tiger mosquitos are particularly concerning because they are known to spread diseases such as dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika virus. Mass outbreaks of these infections have been rising globally. Last year local Dengue outbreaks were recorded in France, Italy and Spain.

With reporting by DPA

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