Semester Ticket/ FAQ

The SemesterTicket NRW/VRR is your ticket to travel throughout NRW. The ticket is valid in printed form or digitally as a PDF or in the TU app (in combination with an official photo ID). All TU Dortmund students have the ticket and can use it to travel all over North Rhine-Westphalia on all regional trains, S-Bahns, light rail, buses and H-Bahns. The ticket is only valid in second class.

Depending on the semester, the ticket is valid from 01 October (winter semester) or 01 April (summer semester) for one semester (6 months). First semester students can get a discounted pre-course ticket (“Vorkursticket”) before the start of the semester.

In the VRR area there are additional transport regulations. Here you are allowed to take one bicycle with you all day and one additional person after 7 p.m. or all day on weekends and holidays. Outside the VRR area only you can ride with the ticket!

On the following map you can see where you are allowed to ride with your semester ticket:

Download Map (from 09/2022)Herunterladen

If you have any questions or problems regarding the ticket, you can contact us at any time.

The semester ticket is valid on all public transportation in North Rhine-Westphalia. This includes regional express trains, regional trains, suburban trains, city trains, streetcars, buses, the H-Bahn, the Wuppertal suspension railroad and the SkyTrain Düsseldorf. The ticket is only valid in second class.
The semester ticket is not valid in the first class, in (almost all) long-distance trains (ICE, EC, IC, FLX), in the AirportExpress and AirportShuttle to Dortmund Airport as well as outside the area of validity.
The semester ticket is valid for one semester. This means in the winter semester from 01 October to 31 March and in the summer semester from 01 April to 30 September. The ticket is not valid before or after the date printed on it!
In the VRR area, you may take a bicycle with you all day, provided there is space for it in the vehicles. In the NRW area, this regulation does not apply. Here you need an additional bicycle ticket.
In the VRR area, you are allowed to take one additional person with you from 7 p.m. (until the end of service) and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. In the NRW area, this passenger regulation does not apply.
You can either print out the ticket or show it digitally. You must always have an official photo ID with you. If you print the ticket, it must be in original size (cutting is ok). Also, you may not laminate it. Envelopes for the ticket are available in our office. If you show the ticket digitally, it must either be in the TU app or as a .pdf file. You are also responsible for making sure your phone has enough battery.
Generally not, but there are exceptions. With the VRR semester ticket you can travel to Arnhem, Venlo and Nijmegen in the Netherlands. With the NRW semester ticket, you can travel on individual transit routes. For example, you can travel to Osnabrück, Hameln, Betzdorf (Sieg) or Enschede in the Netherlands. Only trains may be used in each case. You can find the exact transit routes here: https://infoportal.mobil.nrw/fileadmin/02_Wiki_Seite/05_NRW_Tarif/01_Ticketinfos/SemesterTicketNRW_NRWupgradeAzubi_GueltigkeitAusserh_2021-9.pdf
Yes, with the VRR semester ticket you can travel to Arnhem, Nijmegen and Venlo. With the NRW-Semesterticket you can travel to Enschede.
Yes, but only on the routes to and from Osnabrück and Hameln, which are designated as "transit routes". The ticket is not valid on city buses in the cities. More info about the transit routes can be found here: https://infoportal.mobil.nrw/fileadmin/02_Wiki_Seite/05_NRW_Tarif/01_Ticketinfos/SemesterTicketNRW_NRWupgradeAzubi_GueltigkeitAusserh_2021-9.pdf
Yes, but only on the routes around Betzdorf (Sieg), which are called "transit routes". More info about the transit routes can be found here: https://infoportal.mobil.nrw/fileadmin/02_Wiki_Seite/05_NRW_Tarif/01_Ticketinfos/SemesterTicketNRW_NRWupgradeAzubi_GueltigkeitAusserh_2021-9.pdf
No, you can't.
Generally no, but there is one exception. All IC trains that run between Dortmund and Siegen are approved for local tickets. You can only use your semester ticket on these trains of IC line 34, otherwise unfortunately not (not even for a surcharge). Attention: You are not allowed to take a bicycle on the released trains between Dortmund and Witten, even if the connection is in the VRR. More information about the local transport release of the IC 34 can be found here: https://www.bahn.de/service/individuelle-reise/bahn_und_fahrrad/nahverkehrsfreigabe
Once you have enrolled/registered and paid the full semester fee, the TU will send you the ticket to your UniMail address, and it will also be available for download in the TU app. This can take up to two weeks after payment. If you have lost the email, you can also generate a new ticket in the service portal. You can do that here: https://service.tu-dortmund.de/group/intra/organisation
It can take up to two weeks until your payment is processed. Since we have no insight into the payment of semester fees, please contact the Student Secretariat (regarding the receipt of money) or the ITMC (regarding ticket generation) in case of problems.
At https://service.tu-dortmund.de/group/intra/organisation you can have the ticket sent to you again.
Contact details and further help with your ticket:
https://www.tu-dortmund.de/en/students/start-of-studies/study-formalities/
If your semester ticket is not working, please contact the ITMC immediately so they can help you with your problem as soon as possible.
A possible solution could be:
Log in to the Service Portal of the TU-Dortmund under the following link, there you can generate your semester ticket again and have it sent to your UniMail address as a PDF file:https://service.tu-dortmund.de/group/intra/organisation
If the ticket still cannot be scanned by the controller, delete the cache and cookies in your web browser once, wait 20 minutes and then request the ticket again in the service portal. A new QR code will then be generated in the ticket.
It is important that in such cases you always object to this claim in writing! If you do not do this and the deadline has expired, then you must pay the amount in most cases.
At https://www.db-fahrpreisnacherhebung.de/kontakte/kontaktformular you can easily file an objection with Deutsche Bahn. Should Deutsche Bahn, contrary to expectations, insist on the payment of the supplementary fare, please contact us at AStA.
Of course, since you have a valid ticket, you don't have to pay the 60€. You have 14 days from the date of issue of the supplementary fare collection to submit your valid ticket, but you will have to pay a handling fee of €2.50 to €7, depending on the carrier. Where you have to hand in the ticket, is stated on the fare supplement.
Yes, the mobility guarantee NRW also applies to holders of the semester ticket. From 20 minutes delays at the departure station, you can apply for reimbursement of costs for ICE/IC tickets or up to 30€ (during the day)/60€ (at night) for other mobility services such as cabs. You have 14 days to submit your application. You can find more information about the Mobility Guarantee NRW here: https://www.mobil.nrw/fahren/mobigarantie.html
If you are a first semester student, you can pick up a VRR pre-course ticket ("Vorkursticket") from us. This will give you a VRR-wide ticket to get to the university before you enroll. You can find more information here: https://asta-dortmund.de/en/2019/06/07/pre-course-ticket/
Just because you don't want to use your semester ticket, you can't "opt out" of it. The semester ticket was introduced on the basis of a ballot of the student body and is a solidarity ticket. Because everyone pays, it is cheaper for everyone. And from a sustainability point of view, traveling to the university by public transport is also highly recommended. If you can't use your ticket, e.g. because you are on leave, abroad or on an internship outside NRW for a longer period of time, you can have the ticket refunded. You can find more information here: https://asta-dortmund.de/en/2019/06/07/ticket-refund/
If you have a free ticket (e.g. due to a disability), you can be reimbursed for the ticket. You can find the application here: https://asta-dortmund.de/en/2019/06/07/ticket-refund/
If our FAQ did not help you, you can try to find an answer on the websites of VRR and Mobil NRW. Alternatively, you can contact us (by phone, e-mail or by visiting us), together we will surely find a solution.

More information about the ticket can be found here as well as in our FAQ: (only in german)

VRR: https://www.vrr.de/de/tickets-tarife/ticketuebersicht/ticket/vrr/semesterticket/

Mobil NRW: https://infoportal.mobil.nrw/nrw-tarif/ticketinfos-im-detail.html#c1024

Semester Ticket