Deutsche Bahn (DB) is ending the production of plastic BahnCards. According to a report by Spiegel, citing a DB statement to the German Press Agency (DPA), the company has already stopped issuing plastic trial BahnCards with the current timetable change. By the second half of 2024, the regular credit-card-sized BahnCard will also be phased out. New customers will only receive the discount card digitally on their phones.
The reason for the switch, according to the railway, is the high amount of plastic waste: the company previously produced over five million plastic BahnCards annually, which were disposed of after one year. Additionally, 60 percent of BahnCard holders already use the digital version. The BahnCard comes in variants BahnCard 25, 50, and 100, offering 25, 50, or 100 percent discounts on fares. Prices range from €62.90 for the BahnCard 25 (second class) to €4,550 for the BahnCard 100.
Source: www.spiegel.de
