The Ruhrbahn in Essen is preparing for a high demand for the 49-euro ticket by implementing special precautions, including a new customer center in the city. The center, which opened on Monday, will answer questions about the ticket and is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Ruhrbahn recommends customers who wish to take out a subscription to visit the center. The Deutschlandticket can also be purchased online or in the Ruhrbahn app. The ticket is available as a chip card, but certain options, such as taking other people or bicycles on the journey, are not available with this ticket. Those who do not want to change their subscription must file an objection by April 17th. The ticket is available for purchase nationwide, however buying the ticket from the Ruhrbahn will directly benefit the company.
The Ruhrbahn in Essen expects a large demand for the 49-euro ticket. She is now taking special precautions for this. Among other things, there is a new customer center in Essen. Sales will start there on Monday (April 3rd). Here we answer the most important questions about tickets.
In Essen, the rush to the start of sales of the 49-euro ticket was limited. The Ruhrbahn has set up the former customer center on Berliner Platz again especially for the start of sales. Yesterday, 129 Essen residents submitted an application for the local transport ticket to the customer centers. That’s what a Ruhrbahn spokesman said on Radio Essen. The crowd was bigger online. The Deutschlandticket could already be pre-ordered from the Ruhrbahn in the past few weeks. About 2,000 people did it. In other cities, the homepage collapsed because of the high online demand.
You can buy the Deutschlandticket in Essen in the new pop-up customer center at Berliner Platz, but not with cash. The center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The employees there will answer any questions you have about the Deutschlandticket. The Ruhrbahn particularly recommends new customers who want to take out a subscription to come to the pop-up customer center. The other customer centers are also available. You can also buy the ticket online or in the Ruhrbahn app. Then you have it digitally on your smartphone. The ticket is also available as a chip card.
If you already have a subscription to the Ruhrbahn in Essen, you will automatically be transferred to the Deutschlandticket. This applies to everyone with a Ticket2000, Ticket1000, BärenTicket and YoungTicketPLUS subscription. These tickets are more expensive than the 49-euro ticket. There is no automatic changeover for the Schoko-Ticket and the Sozialticket. But be careful: Certain additional options are no longer available with the Deutschlandticket, even for previous subscribers. You cannot take other people or bicycles with you with the 49-euro ticket. Also, you cannot give the ticket to anyone else because it is personalized. Anyone who does not want to change their subscription must file an objection. So far, only five percent of Ruhrbahn customers have done so. But there is still time for this until April 17th. Information about this is available here.
By the way: If you already have a subscription other than a chip card and would like to have it digital in the future, you can also apply for it online.
You can buy the Deutschlandticket anywhere in Germany. If you buy the ticket from the Ruhrbahn, you can get advice directly here in Essen if you have any questions or changes. In addition, the income goes directly to the Ruhrbahn. Tickets that are bought elsewhere but used in Essen only bring money to the Ruhrbahn later. In this case, the income is distributed within the association via income sharing. That’s quite complicated, says the Ruhrbahn.
In conclusion, the much-awaited 49-euro ticket by the Ruhrbahn in Essen has drawn in significant attention from the public. To handle the anticipated demand for the ticket, special measures have been put in place, including a new customer center in Essen. Although the rush to the start of sales was limited, online pre-orders have been extensive, with some city homepages crashing due to high demand. Interested customers can buy the ticket online or in the Ruhrbahn app, or at the pop-up customer center in Berliner Platz. Current Ruhrbahn subscribers with certain subscription types will be automatically transferred to the Deutschlandticket, while others have until April 17th to file an objection. The ticket can be bought nationwide, but purchasing it directly from the Ruhrbahn will benefit the company more. Regardless of your purchase method, the Ruhrbahn encourages everyone to take advantage of the new ticket and enjoy hassle-free transportation across Germany.