More people have been caught fare dodging on buses and trains in central Germany this year. In Dresden, checks were stepped up again in 2025 after the pandemic years - it turned out that around 5 percent of passengers were traveling without a valid ticket, according to the Dresden Transport Authority (DVB). For many years, the rate in the Saxon state capital was 2.5 to 3 percent.
According to DVB, this results in a loss of revenue of three million euros when extrapolated to the total number of passengers last year of around 184 million people. As the rate of fare dodgers was around twice as high as in previous years, according to DVB, the loss is also expected to be almost twice as high.
Last year, more people used buses and trains in Dresden than ever before since the fall of communism - and the number of fare dodgers has risen accordingly. The DVB sees a need for action, as the lack of ticket revenue would have to be offset by taxes.
The rate also increased in Magdeburg
The Magdeburger Verkehrsbetriebe (MVB) also observed a slight increase in the rate of fare evasion. While in previous years around 3 percent of passengers had fare dodging, this year the proportion is around 5 percent. According to MVB, the actual loss can only be estimated - experience shows that the number of unreported cases is high. According to MVB calculations, fare evasion causes damage in the mid six-figure range every year.
According to the public utility company, 14,300 passengers have been caught without a ticket in Halle so far this year. According to the data, the number of fare dodgers detected in recent years fell from 24,200 in 2022 to 15,700 in 2024.
Figures in Thuringia stable
In Thuringia, the number of fare dodgers remained largely stable - in some cases even despite higher passenger numbers, as the Verkehrsgemeinschaft Mittelthüringen announced, citing figures from its member companies.
The Erfurt transport companies caught around 8,600 passengers without a ticket by September 30. In 2024, the figure was around 9,000 for the whole year and in 2023 it was around 9,400. The loss so far this year has been around 446,000 euros. In 2024 it was around 250,000 euros and in 2023 around 363,000 euros.
In Jena and the Saale-Holzland district, 3,100 fare dodgers have been caught so far this year, compared to just under 3,000 last year and around 3,800 in 2023.
In Weimar, according to Stadtwirtschaft, just under 600 passengers were traveling without a valid ticket. The number has risen compared to the same period last year. The Verkehrsgemeinschaft Landkreis Gotha reported that the figures had declined from 2022 to 2024 and had risen slightly in 2025 compared to the previous year from just under 200 to 240 fare dodgers.
The Thüringer Waldbahn und Straßenbahn Gotha also reported a decline from 771 cases in 2023 to 330 in 2024. So far this year, it has recorded 380 cases.
Federal police have already registered 8,400 offenses this year
According to the federal police, 8,400 passengers were detected without a valid ticket on regional and long-distance trains in the three federal states in central Germany between January and September. Last year, the figure was around 9,600 for the whole year. In 2023, 10,200 people were found without a ticket and in 2022 it was around 8,500.
The Federal Police did not have any information on the amount of the loss. Checking passengers' tickets is the responsibility of the railroad companies.
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