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While in Germany last summer, I used the 9 EUR ticket and regional trains to go from Frankfurt to Bavarian Alps. The trains were packed, one could not move there and it felt more like being in India than in Germany. I am wondering if that's going to be a norm in the future.

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It is a good thing if people actually fill up the trains and get value out of them. While empty trains are comfortable, they are an inefficiency. The 9€ ticket showed that people would really like to be more mobile ´if they could afford it. Making this possible creates value for society.

No, not going to be the norm. Because

a) 49 >> 9

b) the 9 Euro ticket was a one-time novelty

And Frankfurt -> Alps is not regional transport, but inter-city at least. So faster option would have been ICE and going 250km/h. More expensive though, for sure. And a seat reservation for a few euros.

150 EUR vs 9 EUR and one still had to use slow regional trains once reaching Ulm so it was not that much different time-wise to justify much higher cost. Regional Express trains I used from Frankfurt to Ulm are also pretty fast (not ICE level, but not much time lost either).

49 >> 9 but 49 << monthly ticket at any regional transportation company so one could assume most people will own it and trains will be packed again.

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