The Bundestag budget committee supported the creation of a Polish-German youth railway ticket in 2024. The government in Berlin is to allocate EUR 5.8 million for this purpose. “As in the case of the French-German ticket, the offer will most likely be available to young people aged 18 to 27,” writes the RND portal.
The introduction of the ticket is related to the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. A similar program was introduced this year for young people in Germany and France on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Élysée Treaty between the two countries.
The Bundestag supports the creation of a Polish-German youth ticketSharkshock / Shutterstock
Paula Piechotta (Greens), politician responsible for the transport budget, said in a press release: “We need just as good and intense relations with Poland as with France. Therefore, it is logical that after the French-German ticket, we are now launching a Polish-German youth ticket.” .
Young people will most likely benefit
The politician emphasized that “exchange and cohesion between Eastern and Western Europe are extremely important, especially in the light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”
It is not yet clear when exactly the ticket would come into force – writes the RND portal. The price must also be determined in cooperation with Poland. “As in the case of the French-German ticket, the offer will most likely be available to young people aged 18 to 27,” writes the RND portal.
In the case of the French-German ticket, it could be obtained for free via the website on a first-come, first-served basis. In Germany, 30,000 available tickets were distributed in just half an hour, and due to the huge demand, the servers were overloaded – writes DW. Paris and Berlin together donated a total of 60,000 train tickets
Paulla Piechotta was asked by Deutsche Welle whether the ticket will also be available to young Poles who want to travel to Germany by train. – It’s not decided yet. It is possible that young Poles will also be able to travel to Germany with such a ticket. In case of France “We first made the money available and then both countries negotiated how it could be implemented,” she replied. Berlin allocated EUR 6 million for the Franco-German youth ticket. – The German government now has EUR 5.8 million to consider together with the Polish government what is possible – she added.
According to Piechotta, it is possible that a certain fee will be charged this time, because in the case of French-German tickets there have been cases of fraud.
Main photo source: Sharkshock / Shutterstock