France and Germany will introduce this summer „a binational ticket” for young people, and 60,000 copies will be free „to encourage train travel in the two countries”, the two governments announced on Sunday at the end of the Franco-German council of ministers that took place in Paris, AFP reports, Agerpres reads.

„To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty” that sealed the reconciliation between the two countries, „60,000 tickets will be made available free of charge, according to the methods that will be specified soon”, said in a joint press release the transport ministers of the two countries, Clement Beaune and Volker Missing.

The two states promise financial support for this system established by SNCF and Deutsche Bahn (DB).

France and Germany have also said they support the development in 2024 of a direct high-speed rail link between Berlin and Paris, as well as a night train between the two European capitals.

The two railway companies had announced last May that a Paris-Berlin TGV would be operational in December 2023.

SNCF and DB already jointly operate high-speed trains, TGV and ICE, between France and Germany, since the opening of the first section of the Paris-Strasbourg high-speed line in June 2007.

Agerpres