Two major European (well, for the moment they’re both European) rail systems are headed in opposite directions, with German fares set to drop significantly this month, while Britain’s go up by an average of 2.7%.
Germany has cut its VAT tax on rail fares over 50km from 19% to 7%, with the bulk of the savings mandated to be used to reduce fares and encourage more people to take trains rather than fly short-haul domestic routes. Deutsche Bahn, the national rail operator expects to see about 5 million new passengers.
Short-haul and regional riders, as well as Berlin-area transit passengers won’t be as happy; they will see fare hikes of between 2.5 and 3.3%; those increases were locked in before the climate protection plan.
