Berliners with €29 travel pass to get cut-price Deutschlandticket

The German capital Berlin is putting in place a wide range of budget cuts, affecting everything from culture to social support and transport. 

One high-profile casualty of the cuts is the €29 monthly travel pass. The ticket, which was brought into force in July, got the boot earlier in December. 

But there is some good news for people who had already bought the pass. Unless they cancel it, the pass will remain valid and be automatically converted into a nationwide Deutschlandticket. This will continue to be charged €29 per month instead of €58 until their current contract expires.

It means holders will be able to use all local public transport, such as buses, the U-Bahn and regional trains, across Germany for a reduced price. Up to now, the 'Berlin-Abo' as it known, can only be used on transport in the AB zone of Berlin.

READ ALSO: Why Berlin is getting rid of the €29 ticket

The reason behind this decision is because when users signed up to the €29 ticket, the minimum term before they could cancel was one year. 

A notice on the City of Berlin's site says: "Since December 10th, it has no longer been possible to book the €29 subscription for Berlin's public transport system - but anyone who previously took out one can still use it for the full contract term of one year for this monthly price.

"However, all holders of the so-called Berlin ticket will now gradually be automatically transferred to the nationwide Deutschlandticket, as announced by the Senate Department for Transport."

As reported by The Local, the Deutschlandticket will go up in price in January to €58 per month, instead of €49.

READ ALSO: Deutschlandticket price hike divides foreigners in Germany

But for those with the Berlin subscription, the city will pay the remaining part of the D-ticket subscription.

"The Berlin Senate will refund the difference to Berlin subscribers for the duration of the contract. This means that they will continue to pay only €29 per month for the Deutschlandticket," says the city. 

After the end of their €29 ticket subscription, users will then be billed €58 per month for the Deutschlandticket unless they choose to cancel. 

The transfer to the Deutschlandticket is automatic, and the difference is expected to be paid back to subscribers by the Senate in the first quarter of next year, according to the city.

However, people with the pass can choose to cancel their Berlin-Abo early if they don't want the pass. 

"The original commitment for 12 months no longer applies," says the city. 

In total, the €29 travel pass has around 210,000 subscribers. 

The city had previously brought in a temporary €29 travel pass after the success of the Germany-wide €9 ticket back in the summer of 2022, but it was cancelled for the arrival of the Deutschlandticket in spring 2023. 

Bringing back the €29 travel pass was a key election pledge by the Social Democrats in Berlin's 2023 repeat election.