France’s Macron wants German-style public transport subscription

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday he wants to see a German-style system of low-cost monthly subscriptions for regional trains in France.

Asked by HugoDecrypte, a YouTube channel geared towards news for young people, whether France was willing to make available a €49 per month rail pass for regional trains like in Germany, Macron said he was in favour of this.

“I have asked the transport minister to launch it with all the regions that are willing to set up this system,” Macron said.

At the start of this year, Germany introduced the so-called “Deutschlandticket”, which costs €49 a month and offers unlimited travel in Germany on local public transport, such as buses and commuter trains.

The aim of the scheme – which will cost around €3 billion, financed by both the federal and states’ governments – is to cut CO2 emissions and help citizens cope with soaring inflation.

“For the environment and for purchasing power, let’s create this train pass in France, in cooperation between the state and the regions,” Transport Minister Clement Beaune said in a statement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Macron added that such a system needed to be part of a broader effort to reduce CO2 emissions, and include the housing sector and other sections of the economy.