Public Transport in Austria: When and How Will the Low-Cost Flat-Rate "1-2-3-Ticket" Be Introduced?

In the coalition agreement of the Turkish-Green coalition government presented in January 2020, the "1-2-3 ticket" was agreed to achieve the climate targets and to be broadly affordable and at the same time easily accessible: "In one state for 1 euro per day, in one and in the neighboring state for 2 euros per day, in the entire federal territory for 3 euros per day."

At the end of January 2020, the government announced plans to quickly implement the "1-2-3 ticket" (sometimes referred to as the "1-2-3 climate ticket" or the "climate ticket"), despite some hurdles.

"Climate-friendly, affordable, practical - 1-2-3 climate ticket from 2021" is how the ticket has been promoted by the BMK - Federal Ministry for Climate Action Environment Energy Mobility Innovation Technology.

At the beginning of June 2020, it was announced that funding of 240 million euros had been secured for the Austria-wide version of the "1-2-3-Ticket" at a price of 1,095 euros and that the ticket would be introduced in 2021.

"The 240 million euros in funding required for this have been secured," announced Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler. "This means that the first step towards the announced 1-2-3 climate ticket has been taken." "From the year 2021, it will be possible to use all means of public transport throughout Austria for three euros a day."

The advantages are obvious. With the 1-2-3 climate ticket, people can get around easily anywhere in the country, in the cities, regions and municipalities. With one ticket, they can travel on all public transport throughout Austria for an entire year. In this way, the Climate Protection Ministry is creating strong incentives to switch to climate-friendly means of transport. This will benefit not only all the people who use public transportation every day, but also commuters who previously used the road for their commutes and had no attractive alternative.

In fact, however, the negotiations have not been concluded and the introduction of the nationwide 1-2-3 ticket for public transport in 2021 is becoming increasingly unlikely.

This is because the Eastern Region Transport Association (VOR), which is responsible for the provinces of Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland, has now spoken out in favor of a simultaneous introduction of the regional variants with the nationwide tickets for its area. In addition, Lower Austria and Burgenland should be considered as one region. This could trigger delays.

While six federal states have signed an "implementation agreement", the states of the Transport Association East Region (VOR) Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland are missing.

Both Lower Austria's Transport Provincial Council and VOR's managing director reproached Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler for having last entered into negotiations with the Eastern Region as the largest partner in the 1-2-3 project. The Minister of Transport rejects this, and also wants to stick to the plan to start this year initially with the nationwide annual ticket at a price of 1095 euros.

In response to criticism from Lower Austria that the 100 million euros per year that the federal government provides for co-financing the regional parts are too little, Gewessler said that good solutions had been found with six states. She hopes the same for the VOR region.

The existing Österreichcard, which is recognized as an annual network ticket on the trains of all Austrian rail companies except alternative rail operators, cost 1,944 euros for 2nd class in 2021.

The new nationwide "Österreich-Ticket" (or whatever it will ultimately be officially called) at a price of 1,095 euros would then be almost half the price and would be valid throughout Austria on all means of public transport (trains, regional buses, city transport).

BMK - Federal Ministry for Climate Action Environment Energy Mobility Innovation Technology

ÖEBB Austrian Railways