The Niedersachsentarif (Lower Saxony fare zone) - Easy travelling
Travelling by train makes life easier, less stressful and gives you time to read or simply relax. Since June 9, 2013, travelling by train in local transport and changing to other public transportation with the Niedersachsentarif is even easier and more flexible. From door to door by train and bus — simply easy travelling.
One fare rate for Lower Saxony - A uniform pricing system
The Niedersachsentarif (Lower Saxony fare zone) was introduced on June 9, 2013 as a common fare zone for all railway companies operating here. This fare zone applies to all services within Lower Saxony as well as for journeys between Lower Saxony and Hamburg or Bremen. Consequently, for the first time there is a railway far valid statewide which is mutually run and designed by all railway companies operating in Lower Saxony - although these companies indeed compete with one another economically.
The objective of all participants is to actively contribute to making travelling by train in local transport easier and appealing to a larger number of people.
What are the advantages of the Niedersachsentarif (Lower Saxony fare zone)?
The advantages of the Niedersachsentarif are manifold.
For the passengers
The common fare prevented a fractionalisation of the local transport fares into individual in-house fares. The Niedersachsentarif enables passengers to purchase a ticket which is valid at all railway companies under the same conditions.
With the introduction of the fare, there is the option of connection mobility at selected destinations. For instance, the ticket for the continuation of the journey, e.g. by bus, can be purchased in one purchase process for these destinations.
For the railway companies
The Niedersachsentarif provides the same framework conditions for all railway companies. They can influence the fare system and benefit from a transparent and fair share in revenue.
The Niedersachsentarif GmbH (NITAG) is a neutral and independent establishment which regulates the fares in terms of all railway companies and arranges appropriate distribution of the fare revenue between the companies. This provides the railway companies with planning certainty in an economic respect.
Why do we need it?
The Niedersachsentarif guarantees the unity of local transport in the railway system.
A versatile railway system has developed in Lower Saxony during the past few years due to the liberalisation of regional rail transport and the consequent implementation of the resulting competitive principles. This development is fundamentally positive as it leads to a more economic provision of the transport services and customers benefit from innovations and services in the course of the competition.
Nevertheless, with a growing number of railway companies, there was also the risk that it could become confusing for passengers regarding the choice of tickets. There was also the fear that individual railway companies would no longer be willing to continue using the DB nationwide local transport fare for their companies. This posed the risk of the fare structure in Lower Saxony being fractionalised into individual “in-house fares” of the railway companies, which would then only have been valid at the respective railway company.
Now with the Niedersachsentarif, a standard basic structure was created which provides the customer with comprehensive security and reliability irrespective of the particular company. With its introduction as a common local transport fare for all railway companies in Lower Saxony, it is ensured that passengers will also receive standard tickets in the future and do not have to worry about being allowed to travel using a red, yellow or blue train.
The Niedersachsentarif provides not only passengers with more reliability, but the railway companies as well. A transparent and fair distribution of fare revenue between the railway companies proves to be complicated under the previous conditions. The economic planning certainty of the railway companies is strengthened by an easier, comprehensible, quick and neutral settlement of the revenue resulting from the Niedersachsentarif in the future and standard conditions apply to all.