Overview
- Regional networks introduced additional New Year price hikes, including VBB up 6% and MVV up 3.9%, with VRR up 4.9%, VRS up 1.9% and AVV about 1.96% in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- Ticket portfolios are being streamlined, with VBB discontinuing annual and seven‑day passes and NRW replacing several statewide “Schöne–” products with new offers.
- Transport ministers plan to move to an index-based pricing mechanism from 2027 to reflect personnel, energy and other cost changes, with the specific index to be decided at a future meeting.
- Discounted variants remain in place through local schemes, providing lower prices for students, trainees, low‑income riders and in some areas seniors depending on the state and transport association.
- Ver.di has signaled that strikes are conceivable in January tariff negotiations for about 30,000 municipal transit workers in NRW, posing a risk of service disruptions.