Suspension of the Deutschlandticket scheme for school pupils in August

The Deutschlandtickets issued by the school authority, the City of Bocholt, for eligible pupils will not be valid during the August 2026 school holidays. As there is no legal entitlement to the reimbursement of school travel costs during the holiday months, the local school authorities in the district of Borken have agreed to a temporary suspension for cost reasons. The existing chip cards will be automatically reactivated at the start of the new school year in September.

The 2026 summer holidays begin on 20 July and end on 1 September, meaning that the whole of August is a school holiday. As there is no legal obligation to cover school travel costs during this period, the Deutschlandticket chip cards issued for August 2026 will be blocked. The transport authorities point out that any misuse of the tickets during this holiday month will result in an increased fare of 60 euros.

The chip cards already issued will remain valid for the coming 2026/2027 school year. Pupils who have already received a ticket during the current school year will not be issued with a new card and are asked to keep their existing chip card safe. The season tickets will be reactivated in time for 1 September 2026.