- Driven by the German Government, the summer months will be able to travel freely for EUR 9 on certain trains and on public transport in order to cope with the increase in electricity prices. The public has gone to buy bonds, but some have warned that the rail network can "collapse" and that it is necessary to improve the infrastructure that has become obsolete before making some decisions.
The Government ' s initiative is aimed at tackling inflation, particularly the rise in electricity prices caused by the Ukrainian war. A number of measures will enter into force on Wednesday, including EUR 9 bonds. In order to balance the usual benefits of transport companies, EUR 2.5 billion will be allocated, as can be read in the digital media El Diario.
As reporter Aldo Mas has said, the bonus will be available in June, July and August, except for public transport and rail networks, in the high-speed ICE and Intercity networks. As expected, thousands of users have already obtained tickets.
However, several experts have stressed that the success of the initiative may lead to its failure. They recall what happened in 1995, with a €7.5 bonus that could be used from Friday to Sunday at the time of the test. Demand was much higher than supply and transport companies were unable to serve as many travellers. And, once again, experts such as the head of the IW, Hubertus Bardt, have warned that without improving infrastructure (trains, railways...), there may be problems, as ten years later no major public investment has been made in improving the rail network. The newspaper Handelsblatt pointed out that in 2021, EUR 15.4 billion was invested in the sector, but the punctuality of trains is getting worse.