Üstra
üstra Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe AG is the operator of public transport in the city of Hanover, Germany. The company is a member of the Großraum-Verkehr Hannover transport association.
From 2003 to 2006, it had outsourced its operations, but officially resumed as a service provider on January 1, 2007.
History
Üstra was originally the abbreviation for Überlandwerke und Straßenbahnen Hannover AG. The company also provided electricity to private customers as well as operating bus and tram services - not only in the city of Hannover but also to the outlying villages and small towns. This field was spun off in 1929. In 1960, the company changed its name to Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe AG, then to ÜSTRA Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe AG in 1980, changing the word üstra to lowercase in 1996.The rural tram lines which were mostly singletrack brought coal, milk and farm produce to the city but this business dwindled down with the motorisation in the 1950s and 1960s.
In 2001, ownership of the rail network, tunnels and stations of the Hanover Stadtbahn was transferred to Infrastrukturgesellschaft Region Hannover GmbH.