Klimaticket: Austrian Low-Priced Public Transport Ticket Launches on 26 October

"I think you can tell how happy I am. This is a great day for the climate and for transport," Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler said about the climate ticket. Her heart's project is complete, she said. "We did it." All states are in from the start, she said, beginning Oct. 26. Advance sales of the Klimaticket, previously planned as a 1-2-3 ticket, will start immediately. 

It has been in government programs for 15 years, Gewessler said. "And if this year's summer has shown us anything. The climate crisis has also arrived in Austria." Taking public transport is good for the climate, she added.

At the presentation of the ticket also Vienna's mayor Michael Ludwig welcomed the introduction of the climate ticket. "Vienna takes climate protection very seriously, and one way to reduce CO2 emissions is to switch to public transport," the city leader emphasized. Vienna is a pioneer with the 365-euro annual ticket. Meanwhile, more people own the annual pass than there are registered cars in Vienna."

He added that there are a total of 164 lines such as the subway and bus. 819,000 people already have the Vienna Annual Pass, Ludwig said - so demand is huge. According to Ludwig, almost 200,000 people commute to Vienna every day, the majority of them by public transport.

After Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Upper Austria, Styria and Carinthia, Lower Austria, Vienna and Burgenland have now also joined the supra-regional public transport tariff - the Wiener Linien annual ticket is still available. Those who commute between Lower Austria or Burgenland and Vienna can travel more cheaply than before with the ticket for the three provinces at 915 euros per year; the Austria Climate Ticket costs 1,095 euros. For annual ticket holders, nothing changes; those who continue to travel only in Vienna will be able to travel within the city limits by bus, streetcar, subway (U-Bahn) and city train (S-Bahn) for 365 euros.

More than 300,000 people commute to Vienna every day to work or study in the city, reminded Ludwig. "Cheaper public transport fares are one way to encourage commuters to switch to public transport, another argument is the expansion of infrastructure," Ludwig said. "Where Öffis are well developed, people also switch to public transport." He pointed to the expansion of the subway and streetcar lines, especially in urban development areas. Particularly in the new parts of town, he said, there is a need to expand the transportation infrastructure in addition to the public transportation expansion: "If you order a fitted kitchen, it won't be so easy to have it delivered by bus," Ludwig said.

In the future, anyone who buys a climate ticket will be able to use any scheduled transport service in a given area.

This includes both public and private trains, all public transport in cities and transport associations.

The ticket will be launched throughout Austria on Austria's national holiday, October 26.

The climate ticket is now available in advance - with a 15 percent discount at the start. Until the national holiday, it costs 949 instead of 1,095 euros for one year. For all under 26 as well as for seniors there is in addition a reduction on 821 euro. Including the 15 percent starting discount, that's 699 euros.

However, the climate ticket comes in a different form than originally planned. The network ticket was once planned with three levels, hence the name "1-2-3 ticket" chosen at the time. The 3-tier ticket was supposed to cost 1,095 euros, as has now been realized, to use public transportation throughout Austria. However, it was also planned to be able to use public transportation for one euro per day and province (365 euros per year) and for two euros per day in a province and a neighboring province (730 euros).

However, this was only possible in Vienna. In other federal states, the annual tickets cost considerably more, up to 695 euros in Upper Austria. As desired, Burgenland and Lower Austria will become a common region for the new climate ticket. A joint ticket for the entire eastern region (Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland) is also available at 915 euros per year.

The Austria-wide stage of the climate ticket will cost 150 million euros. Another 100 million in the budget is also earmarked for financing the network ticket in the provinces, he said.

For the annual ticket for Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland, one pays 915 euros per year. Lower Austria and Burgenland will be assessed as one province, and the annual public transport ticket for both provinces will amount to 550 euros.

Klimaticket