Hamburger Verkehrsverbund
The Hamburger Verkehrsverbund is a transport association coordinating public transport in and around Hamburg, Germany. Its main objectives are to provide a unified fare system, requiring only a single ticket for journeys with transfers between different operating companies, and to facilitate and speed up travel by harmonising the individual companies' schedules. At its inception in 1965, the HVV was the first organisation of its kind worldwide.
As of 2010, the HVV provides rail, bus and ferry transportation for an area of 8,616 square kilometres with approximately 3.6 million inhabitants in the states of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. The HVV has approximately 1.95 million customers on an average working day.
The HVV acts as the overall coordinating body for transport in the conurbation, with representation by the Hamburger Hochbahn ; Deutsche Bahn ; AKN railway company ; HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst AG ; VHH, and KVG Stade.
With an average of 50,000 commuters per day the Metrobus 5 bus line is the busiest in Europe. In the city centre, stops are served without a specific schedule every two or three minutes and since December 2005, extra long double-articulated buses have been used.
History
The HVV was founded on 29 November 1965, with the four initial partners, Hamburger Hochbahn AG, Deutsche Bundesbahn, HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst AG and Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein. The first results that the new organisation delivered came on 1 January 1967 with a unified fare structure, pooling of receipts and coordinated systemwide timetables across all modes of transport.Organisation
The public transport authorities are also the tendering organisations and owners of the limited liability company Hamburger Verkehrsverbund. The Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg, the State of Schleswig-Holstein, the State of Lower Saxony and the Districts Herzogtum Lauenburg, Pinneberg, Segeberg, Stormarn, Harburg, Lüneburg and Stade are these PTAs.Services
Rail transport
In 2006, the HVV organised 27 rapid transit rail lines with a length of, with the following operators:- AKN Eisenbahn
- S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH, part of Deutsche Bahn group, operating the Hamburg S-Bahn
- DB Regio AG, part of Deutsche Bahn group
- DB Regionalbahn Schleswig-Holstein GmbH
- Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser, operating rail and bus services
- Hamburger Hochbahn, operating the U-Bahn and many bus services in Hamburg
- metronom Eisenbahngesellschaft
- NBE nordbahn Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH & Co. KG
- Nord-Ostsee-Bahn GmbH
Buses
- Autokraft GmbH
- Becker Reisen GmbH, operating two lines
- Dahmetal KG
- Globetrotter Reisen GmbH, operating two lines
- KVG Stade GmbH & Co. KG
- KViP Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft in Pinneberg mbH, operating in the district Pinneberg
- LBB Linienbus Berkenthin GmbH, operating two lines
- Ludwigsluster Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH
- Mittelzentrumsholding Bad Segeberg-Wahlstedt GmbH & CO. KG, concessionaire for some lines operated by Autokraft
- Omnibusbetrieb Storjohann GmbH & Co. KG]
- Otto Strunk Omnibusbetrieb GmbH
- RMVB Ratzeburg-Möllner Verkehrsbetriebe mbH
- Reese Reisen GmbH
- Stadtverkehr Lübeck GmbH
- Stadtwerke Bad Oldesloe, Ratzeburg und Mölln
- Süderelbe-Bus GmbH
- Verkehrsbetriebe Osthannover GmbH
- Verkehrsbetriebe Buchholz i.d.N. GmbH
- Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein
- VKP Verkehrsbetriebe Kreis Plön GmbH
- VGS Verkehrsgesellschaft Südholstein mbH, operating one line
- Zerbin Busreisen GmbH, operating one line
Ferries
Other organisations
- Stadtwerke Norderstedt, operating one night bus line and coordinating public transport in Norderstedt
- Verkehrsgesellschaft Norderstedt mbH, owing the Norderstedt part of the underground line U1 and a railway line operated by Hamburger Hochbahn AG respective AKN
Fares
Most tickets are not transferable to other persons.