Rhineland-Palatinate adopts state public transport plan, about EUR 60m

The state guarantees rail local transport and the 142 regional bus lines as a minimum service and funds them in full; EUR 15 million a year is set aside for local services in 2025/26 and about EUR 15 million for accessible bus stops. In total the ministry spends about EUR 60 million on the plan in 2025 and 2026; ZÖPNV Süd starts its 2026 budget with almost EUR 370 million.

The assemblies of SPNV Nord (early December 2025) and ZÖPNV Süd (9 December 2025) approved the state public transport plan by a large majority; after the cabinet dealt with it, the state can issue it as a statutory ordinance (report of 11 December 2025). It secures rail and regional buses as a mandatory service, introduces a formula for state co-funding of local services and unifies standards; state funding for public transport rose by more than EUR 190 million a year in the 2025/26 double budget (LOK Report, 11 Dec 2025).