Rhineland Fare: Public Transportation Has Never Been Easier
Major Project Revamps Ticket Pricing for 100 Municipalities
Fare reforms can, without exaggeration, be described as open-heart surgery for public transit: They are immensely complex, potentially risky in terms of passenger acceptance, and require meticulous preparation as well as close cooperation at many levels.
In developing the new Rhineland fare system, the experts from the Aachen Transport Association (AVV) and the Rhine-Sieg Transport Association (VRS) have succeeded in squaring the proverbial circle: striking a balance between simplicity and fairness, as well as ensuring the system is manageable for passengers and financially viable for transit operators. The experts have streamlined the fare portfolio by about 85 percent and are reducing the number of fare tiers from 16 to, ultimately, three.
The fact that the merger of two historically developed fare systems was successful underscores a key insight: the key to success lies in the consistent collaboration of all stakeholders. It was only through the close collaboration between the two transit networks, the transit companies, and policymakers that the conditions were created to develop sustainable and forward-looking solutions.
Several dozen colleagues from both organizations contributed to the Rhineland Fare System. In the following interview, experts from all participating departments speak on behalf of this concentrated expertise.
Let's start by looking at the area mentioned in the project title: collective bargaining. In your opinion, what were the biggest challenges related to collective bargaining?
Siegfried Krüger (Deputy Director of Fares/Sales, VRS):
Merging two very different network fare structures into a new fare structure. The Rhineland Fare has completely replaced the previous AVV and VRS fare structures. We have not only streamlined our portfolio but also created an entirely new fare structure. To achieve this, we drew on the expertise of external consultants.
Maximilian Filipp (Fare/Sales, AVV):
The Deutschlandticket and eezy.nrw have revolutionized local public transportation. Based on the success of these two products, passengers are rightfully demanding that the rest of the fare system be simple as well. However, devising a new fare structure for users across 100 municipalities while adequately taking into account the various conflicting interests was no easy task.
How does the process work from the initial design of the fare to the sale of the first Rheinlandtarif ticket?
Marius Liebscher ( Deputy Director of Fares/Sales/Revenue Sharing, AVV):
Simply having a finalized fare concept is not enough. For the Rhineland Fare, all sales-related information had to be formatted so that transit companies could use it in their sales systems—from the app to the customer service center. This preparatory work is particularly challenging for a joint fare system of this magnitude, because it also serves as the foundation for all subsequent sales steps.
Jan Hoffmann (Deputy Head of Fares/Sales, VRS):
For the new Rhineland fare structure, sales concepts—and especially the underlying data—had to be fundamentally redesigned and implemented in the sales systems. This involved a complex process with numerous rounds of coordination and joint decisions. The fact that this ultimately resulted in a functional sales product is primarily due to the close and collaborative partnership between transport associations, transit agencies, and service providers.
For passengers to purchase a new fare, they first need to know about it. Bernd, Markus, how are you structuring your passenger communications regarding the Rhineland Fare?
Bernd Knieling (Marketing/Communications, VRS):
In our communications, we focus above all on the simplicity of the Rhineland fare and on the harmonious trio it forms with the Germany Ticket and eezy.nrw. In doing so, the Rhineland Fare caters to all those who do not—yet—identify with the other two fare options. The fare landscape here in the Rhineland is now simple in three ways.
Markus Vogten (Head of Marketing/Communications; AVV Press Spokesperson):
For the Rheinlandtarif, we primarily use digital media: our websites, apps, and social media channels. But of course, we also take into account the needs of passengers who are less tech-savvy: they can find information about the new fare in easy-to-read brochures.
Let's turn our attention to customer feedback: Do you get the impression that passengers are responding well to the Rhineland fare?
Markus Schumacher (Team Leader, VRS Customer Dialogue):
Yes. Of course, shortly after the launch, passengers contacted us daily with questions about the Rhineland Fare, which is completely normal in a reform project like this. However, our impression is that the many informational materials prepared in advance have been effective, so the overall volume of inquiries remained at an expected level.
Dirk Steinnagel (Marketing/Communications, AVV):
The broad portfolio of initiatives —an information platform for employees of the transit companies, including FAQs and training materials for drivers and fare collectors, brochures, comprehensive online information, and advance notices for season ticket holders provided by the transit companies—has also proven effective from our perspective.
How do the media view the Rhineland Tariff?
Jessica Buhl (VRS Press Spokesperson):
The reporting is objective and fair. It’s also part of the process that the media provide a platform for those passengers who have lost “special perks” they had come to cherish as a result of the reform. However, it’s important to keep in mind that 90 percent of all trips are made using the Deutschlandticket or eezy.nrw.
Markus Vogten:
In addition, we will continue to operate the short-distance route through May 31, 2028, to make it easier for passengers affected by hardships to switch to eezy.nrw.
Tickets serve as proof of fare payment for public transit users, and the revenue generated from ticket sales belongs to the transit companies. From the perspective of revenue sharing, how has the Rhineland Fare System gotten off to a start?
Christoph Pala (AVV Revenue Sharing):
As with all aspects of the project, we have also established a cross-organizational working group for revenue sharing—together with representatives from the transit companies. There, we laid the groundwork in a constructive manner for the system of fare revenue distribution, the consideration of network-specific characteristics, and regulations regarding the data basis, billing, and further development of revenue sharing.
Melanie Hecker (Deputy Director of Revenue Allocation, VRS):
Fortunately, we were able to build on the positive experiences gained from the reciprocal mechanisms in the AVV and VRS fare agreements. However, revenue sharing across transport networks requires new contractual frameworks as well as calculation methods for distributing revenue between the two transport networks. AVV GmbH and VRS GmbH have established a joint reporting platform for reporting revenue from the new Rhineland fare. Through this platform, transit companies centrally report revenue from all three fare pillars: Deutschlandticket, eezy.nrw, and the Rhineland fare.
Melanie just mentioned the contractual basis. How does a new collective bargaining agreement present itself as a legal challenge?
Emil Mertens (Legal Affairs, VRS):
It is, in fact, relatively complex. To implement the Rhineland Tariff, we revised or, in some cases, drafted from scratch a total of 150 pages of contractual documents. This involved not only detailed legal work and legal classification but also the coordination of numerous technical aspects and interfaces. I could not have created such a contractual framework on my own; I relied on the reliable support of the relevant departments. It is precisely thanks to this collaboration that the Rhineland Tariff now rests on solid contractual foundations.
Finally, a question for the project leaders: Katrin, Sascha, how proud are you of your teams' performance?
Katrin Bünten (Head of Fare Policy/Sales/Revenue Sharing, AVV):
It’s hard to put into words—I’m incredibly proud. We’ve gone through some grueling months filled with lots of overtime, numerous meetings, feedback sessions with transit companies, presenting our concepts to policymakers, and working hard to reach several compromises. The dedication our colleagues have shown on behalf of the passengers deserves the utmost respect. I am very grateful to each and every one of them.
Sascha Triemer (Head of Fare Structures/Sales, VRS):
Just imagine it—pulling off a mega-project like this in just 14 months, from the political decision to implementation—it’s incredible. Not only have we revolutionized the Bartarif, but we’ve also designed and launched products for specific target groups, such as social, student, and job tickets. You can’t accomplish all of this without a strong team. So I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you!
Further Information
If you're interested, you can find more information about the Rhineland fare here:
Go to the VRS information page Go to the AVV information page