Germany expands discounted Deutschlandticket to apprentices and welfare recipients

In Berlin, apprentices and participants in voluntary social or ecological service can purchase the nationwide public‑transport pass (Deutschlandticket) for €37.80 per month instead of the regular €63, with the price difference fully subsidised by the state. The reduced fare becomes available from 1 July in Berlin and from 1 August in Brandenburg, and applies also to dual‑training apprentices whose employers offer a job‑ticket variant.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in North Rhine‑Westphalia is proposing to convert the mobility allowance that currently forms part of basic security benefits into a direct entitlement to the Deutschlandticket. The plan would redirect existing funds – up to €2.5 billion annually – into public‑transport operators, improve social participation, reduce fare evasion and support the expansion of regional services. With about 1.5 million benefit recipients in the state and only around 80 000 currently using the ticket, the proposal aims to channel the €50.49 monthly mobility share into a €63 monthly ticket, funded by existing federal and state subsidies.