Public local transport across Germany registered an increase in passenger volumes during 2025, according to preliminary figures released by the Federal Statistical Office, known as Destatis. Regional rail transport carried 2.8 billion passengers throughout the year, representing an expansion of roughly 2% compared to the preceding twelve-month period. Performance metrics for this sector, measured as total passenger kilometers traveled collectively by all users across scheduled local rail routes, advanced to 66 billion kilometers, translating to a 3% upward movement relative to the prior year.
Scheduled local bus services mirrored the growth trend observed in rail networks. Passenger numbers utilizing buses climbed by 2% to reach 5.5 billion individuals. Total transport performance within the bus sector remained virtually unchanged, holding steady at 39 billion passenger kilometers. Meanwhile, tram operations showed no variance whatsoever when compared against the previous year. Tram networks recorded 3.9 billion passengers who collectively covered 17 billion passenger kilometers, maintaining parity with historical metrics.
Looking across a broader ten-year horizon, regional rail operations expanded significantly. Passenger volumes traveling via local rail networks in 2025 exceeded the figures registered in 2015 by 10%. The most pronounced acceleration in rail patronage occurred between 2015 and 2019, whereas the subsequent period from 2019 through 2025 experienced a much more modest uptick of only 1%. The average travel distance for a rail passenger reached 23 kilometers in 2025, showing an increase from the 21 kilometers recorded a decade earlier in 2015. Overall transport performance for local rail grew by 21% over the ten-year span.
For buses and trams, passenger metrics showed more subdued long-term gains. Scheduled local bus services accommodated nearly 5.5 billion riders, matching levels seen prior to the coronavirus pandemic in 2019 and exceeding the 2015 results by 1%. The average travel distance on local buses remained constant at approximately 7 kilometers for both 2025 and ten years prior. Tram networks registered passenger totals that sat 5% lower than the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, yet remained 1% above the baseline established in 2015. Average trip lengths on trams remained stable at slightly above 4 kilometers.
Data collection relies on comprehensive annual surveys encompassing every provider of scheduled local transport utilizing railways or tramways, alongside bus enterprises handling 250,000 or more passengers annually. A sample of smaller bus operators is also incorporated into the findings. Statistical authorities note that figures contain inherent uncertainties due to the incomplete nationwide deployment of automated passenger counting systems. Furthermore, the introduction of the Deutschlandticket has complicated volume assessments because regional and centralized sales channels distribute the transit passes, leaving reporting companies without comprehensive regional sales or usage data. This dynamic could potentially result in an undercounting of passenger numbers, specifically within local bus networks.
