STOAG is on the right track: The DeutschlandTicket and the expansion of e-mobility are big steps towards the mobility transition

A look back: The 2022 financial year in figures
The pandemic-related restrictions at the beginning of 2022 as well as the 19G rule in public transport, which applies until March 2022, 3, contributed to low passenger growth in the first three months of last year. A complete recovery in passenger numbers to the level of the pre-Corona year 2019 could not be achieved despite the introduction of the 9-euro ticket in the summer.

For 2022, STOAG's income amounts to EUR 37.322 thousand, which is 7,95% higher than the previous year's value (EUR 34.355 thousand). They consist of sales revenue, interest income, the public transport flat rate, the public transport rescue package and other operating income.

Total expenses of EUR 28 thousand (previous year: EUR 129 thousand) were incurred for the transport of approximately 445 million passengers, for the maintenance of 57.486 buses, six trams and the public transport infrastructure as well as for the employment of 52.876 employees.

STOAG's operating result, without taking investment income into account, shows a higher compensation amount of EUR 20.164 thousand than in the previous year (EUR 18.521 thousand).

Income from investments and securities increased and amounted to EUR 10.059 thousand; in the previous year they amounted to EUR 10.292 thousand. The remaining financing amount for the city of Oberhausen has increased slightly - it amounts to EUR 10.155 thousand (previous year: EUR 8.279 thousand).
In order to maintain the high quality and usual scope of public transport offerings in the future, STOAG made investments amounting to EUR 2022 thousand in the 4.546 financial year, including in construction and procurement measures for the conversion to electromobility and the barrier-free expansion of stops.

Looking ahead: numbers and projects in 2023
PASSENGER DEVELOPMENT

Passengers return with the DeutschlandTicket

In 2023, the number of passengers on STOAG will increase. This is also due to the introduction of the nationwide DeutschlandTicket on May 1, 2023. The aim of the DeutschlandTicket is to significantly increase the attractiveness of public transport for citizens. This tariff development creates a stronger incentive to switch from motorized individual transport to buses and trains in order to enable the mobility transition to be achieved.

STOAG currently has a total of around 32.500 subscribers.

To date (as of August 30.8), STOAG has gained a total of 17.300 subscribers for the DeutschlandTicket. This also includes subscribers who have decided on the DeutschlandTicket by converting their existing subscription (approx. 10.000).

The DeutschlandTicket Schule has been on the market since August 1st at a price of EUR 29. In Oberhausen, the existing SchokoTickets were converted to the DeutschlandTicket. In addition, at the start of the school year, additional students purchased the DeutschlandTicket Schule, meaning that there are a total of 12.000 subscriptions to the DeutschlandTicket Schule.

Employers can offer their workforce the DeutschlandTicket as a JobTicket with a financial contribution. If the employer grants a subsidy of at least 25%, there is an additional discount of 5% from the transport company. Employees therefore pay a maximum of EUR 34,30 for the Germany JobTicket. In Oberhausen, only around 860 job tickets were taken out as DeutschlandTicket; some large employers in the city are still in the decision-making process.

REVENUE SITUATION

The transport companies' loss of income resulting from the sale of the DeutschlandTicket will be fully offset by the federal and state governments for 2023 using the approved funds of EUR 3 billion as well as the existing obligation to make additional contributions. The federal and state governments will each pay 1,5 billion euros for the implementation of the ticket, and the funds will be passed on to the transport associations.

According to the law, the funds should be made available for the years 2024 and 2025. However, the federal and state governments only promise to pay the additional costs that transport companies may incur for 2023. A decision on the obligation to make additional contributions is pending for the year 2024 and following. “We urgently need a commitment from the federal and state governments to ensure the financing of the DeutschlandTicket beyond 2023 in order to be able to continue to make this nationwide offer available to citizens in the future,” said STOAG Managing Director Werner Overkamp.

ELECTROMOBILITY

In various places in the city it is clear that the company's conversion to electromobility is progressing. The charging infrastructure required for the use of the battery-electric buses has been built at four final stops - the work is almost completed. The transformer stations are set up at the Everslohstrasse, Wehrstrasse, Goerdelerstrasse and Hirschkamp stops so that final charging is ensured when the battery-electric buses are delivered.

A total of 18 charging stations have been set up at the depot for overnight charging of the buses.

The delivery of the 15 battery-electric buses that were ordered from the manufacturer VDL Bus & Coach in the Netherlands and were supposed to be delivered at the end of last year has been delayed by around a year. As of today, the buses are scheduled to be delivered by the turn of the year and then be used as planned on lines SB97/952, 953/961, 954 and 956.

Around the turn of the year 2024/25, the procurement of a further 23 battery-electric buses and the construction of the necessary charging infrastructure are planned. STOAG receives funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for the bus procurement measure - the grant application has already been approved. The funding covers 60% of the difference between a battery-electric bus and a comparable diesel bus. The funding rate for the construction of the necessary infrastructure is 90% (Rhine-Ruhr Transport Association) of the eligible investment costs.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT OFFERS

XBuses strengthen rapid transport

In 2022, the first XBus line, the X42, was successfully introduced. The buses on the line

XBuses connect neighboring cities and districts directly and quickly and improve mobility between more rural areas and metropolitan areas.

New cross-city connection

With the timetable change in August, a long-held wish of STOAG was realized in cooperation with the Ruhrbahn - the extension of the SB90 line with a connection to the MH-Styrum train station. The line will be extended from the former terminus at Ruhrpark beyond the Mülheim city limits to the MH-Friesenstraße stop. During the route of the SB90, the stops MH-Ruhrstadion (formerly Alstaden border), MH-Styrum S-Bahn station and MH-Schloss Styrum are served. It is possible to transfer to S-Bahn and regional trains at the MH-Styrum S-Bahnhof stop.

Customer Support

STOAG has and will continue to expand digital passenger information at the stops. 70 stops are equipped with a total of 171 dynamic passenger information displays. For the first time, displays were equipped with a barrier-free reading function – text-to-speech. Here, the contents of the passenger information are read out to visually impaired people at the push of a button. 64 displays at 31 stops were equipped with this reading function in 2022, and this year all existing displays will be retrofitted with the text-to-speech function.

INVESTMENTS

STOAG will be making major investments in the coming years. In addition to the procurement of additional electric buses and the corresponding charging infrastructure, investments are being made in the renovation and expansion of the depot. The switch to battery-electric drive requires the conversion and expansion of the workshop and storage facilities. The P4 parking lot adjacent to the STOAG depot is currently being partially replanned to enable buses to park and charge at charging stations.

“The conversion during ongoing operations with initial parallel operation of electric and diesel vehicles will be a major challenge for the company. We are investing a lot of money in the coming years so that public transport in Oberhausen can be made future-proof and climate-friendly. Financial support from the federal and state governments is still pending in order to improve the public transport offering and thus achieve the climate goals with the mobility transition,” says Werner Overkamp.