Factsheet for measure
DE-2022-52/3534
– measures in Germany
Strengthening public railways transport
Stärkung des SPNV
Background information
The German Federal Government adopted the Federal Climate Change Act (Bundes-Klimaschutzgesetz) in 2019 and amended it once more in 2021. The latest amendments brought forward Germany's goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2045 (instead of formerly 2055). To achieve climate neutrality, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced by at least 65% by 2030 and by at least 88% by 2040. This is in comparison to the levels of 1990. Against this background, training relevant workers on climate-friendly technologies became an important task. Moreover, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 resulted in stopping of gas deliveries to Germany and heightened the necessity to invest into new energy and electricity sources and train workers to install, maintain and repair such technologies.
Content of measure
Already in autumn 2022, the federal government and the federal states reached an agreement to provide the federal states with additional funds to make local public transport more attractive and thereby increase passenger numbers. According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, the federal states will receive additional funding of €17.3 billion between 2022 and 2031. Latest budget rises in regional funds were laid down by the eight amendment of the Regionalisation Act taking effect in December 2022 and are devoted to improving local railways systems.
Making public transport more attractive is deemed necessary, in order to convince car users to switch to busses and/or trains and reach climate protection targets.
Use of measure
No data.
Target groups
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Workers
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Businesses
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Citizens
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Does not apply to workers
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Does not apply to businesses
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Applies to all citizens
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Actors and funding
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Actors
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Funding
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National government
Local / regional government
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National funds
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Social partners
Social partners' role in
designing the measure
and form of involvement:
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Trade unions
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Employers' organisations
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Role
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Consulted
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Consulted
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Form
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Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal
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Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal
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Social partners' role in the
implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
-
Social partners jointly
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Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level
Involvement
Employers' and business organisations as well as the United Services Union provided their written input to the parliamentary hearing to the draft legislation.
Views and reactions
Business association VDV welcomed the additional funding for local public transport as better public transport was needed if climate protection goals were to be reached. VDV also stressed that it had hoped for more long-term planning security when it came to the further development of the regional funds. United Services Union (ver.di) similarly welcomed the eigth amendment of the Regionalisation Act but regretted that the additional funds were particularly devoted to public railways and did not take into account much needed improvements of other public local transport options (such as buses or underground railways).
Sources
