Price increase for buses and trains: tickets will be significantly more expensive from 2026!

Price increase for buses and trains: tickets will be significantly more expensive from 2026!

The anticipation of the innovations in local public transport is somewhat dampened: From January 1, 2026, it will be more expensive for passengers in the Schwarzwald-Baar district, as well as in Rottweil and Tuttlingen. As [suedkurier.de](https://www.suedkurier.de/region/schwarzwald/schwarzwald-baar-kreis/bus-und-bahn- Werden-ab-januar-2026-teurer;art372502,12448104) reports, the members of the Verkehrsverbund Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg special purpose association have decided to increase the Move tariff by 15.7%. This significant increase goes hand in hand with the introduction of a new tariff model, which came into force in the districts in 2023.

The single ticket for a zone will in future increase from 2.70 euros to 3.10 euros, while the single day ticket will increase to 6.10 euros - an increase of 5.30 euros. There are also adjustments to the monthly ticket for adults: instead of 58.70 euros, passengers will have to invest 67.90 euros in the future. The subscription card for adults will be increased from 46 euros to 53.20 euros. The association office's original demand called for an increase of 10.7%, but the circumstances surrounding the cost increases turned out to be more significant.

Financial burden on municipalities

In this context, Mayor Detlev Bührer points out the financial burden that the municipalities have to bear as a result of this price increase. What is particularly noteworthy is that the 2024 annual financial statements show a loss of 2.4 million euros, but 600,000 euros better than estimated. The minus amounts are distributed among the members of the special purpose association:

• Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis: 664.372 Euro
• Kreis Tuttlingen: 615.083 Euro
• Kreis Rottweil: 736.166 Euro
• Land: 378.912 Euro

In this context, both the managing directors Podolski and Volz were thanked for the better result, as well as the skeptical voices of representatives of the Rottweil district, who were initially against an immediate increase, but were ultimately convinced.

New tariff association with advantages

The new tariff model, which was introduced in 2023, is called “move – your new network tariff” and aims to simplify ticket prices. Reducing the tariff zones from 27 to 8 will increase clarity and promote better use of local public transport. District Administrator Sven Hinterseh describes this tariff association as “significant progress” for local public transport in the region, especially with regard to the environmentally friendly focus of the new system.

With the Move subscription, passengers can travel throughout the entire Black Forest-Baar-Heuberg network area. In addition, the Ringzug Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg association is responsible for tariff management and customer service. In the spirit of further development, the “Ringzug 2.0 expansion and electrification” project is also being pushed forward, which is intended to expand the ring train service to St. Georgen, build additional stops and electrify sections of the route.

It remains to be seen how the price adjustments will affect the use of public transport. However, the tariff association offers a clear advantage in an easy-to-understand structure, which will, however, noticeably increase ticket costs. Let's hope that these measures will bear fruit in the long term and inspire even more passengers to use the bus and train. Further information is available at sweb.de.