Hamburger Verkehrsverbund
Encyclopedia
The Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (HVV) (Hamburg Transport Association) is a company coordinating the public transport
in and around Hamburg
, Germany
. Its main objectives are to provide the user with a unified fare system, requiring only a single ticket for journeys with transfers between different operating companies, and to further facilitate and speed up travel by harmonising the individual companies' schedules. At its inception in 1965, HVV was the first organisation of this kind worldwide.
In 2010 HVV provides rail, bus and ferry transportation for an area of 8,616 square kilometres with approximately 3.4 million inhabitants in the states of Hamburg
, Schleswig-Holstein
and Lower Saxony
. HVV has approximately 1.95 million customers on an average working day.
HVV acts as an overall coordinating body for transport in the Hamburg conurbation, with representation by the Hamburger Hochbahn
(Hamburg elevated railway); Deutsche Bahn
(German Federal Railroads); AKN railway company
(Altona—Kaltenkirchen—Neumünster Railway); HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst
A. G. (HADAG sea-tourism and ferry service plc); VHH (Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein A.G./ Transporting enterprises Hamburg Holstein Ltd); PVG (Pinneberger Verkehrsgesellschaft, mbH/ Pinneberger public transport company, Ltd); and KVG (Kraftverkehrgesellschaft, GmbH/ Motor Traffic Company, LLC).
With an average of 50,000 commuters per day the HVV bus line Metrobus 5 is the busiest line in Europe. In the city centre, stops are served without a specific schedule every two to three minutes and since December 2005, the world's longest, double-articulated buses
are used.
, the HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst AG and Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH).
(85.5%), the State of Schleswig-Holstein
(3%), the State of Lower Saxony
(2%) and the Districts Herzogtum Lauenburg
, Pinneberg
, Segeberg
, Stormarn
, Harburg
, Lüneburg
and Stade
(9.5%) are these PTAs.
In 2006 the HVV organzised 27 rapid transit rail lines with a length of 881 km, with the following operators:
is operating ferries on the Elbe
river.
The unified fare system in Hamburg splits in 3 major groups, cash ticket sales (16%), season tickets (from 3 days to a year) (72%) and others like disabled passengers, combined tickets, fare evaders etc. (12%). In 2006, total ticket revenue was 504 million Euro. Cash tickets for one ride, a day or a 3 day pass can be bought at all railway stations, ferry slots or in all buses. There are also so-called "family tickets" (for 2 adults and 3 children) or group tickets for up to 5 adults. The HVV offers job ticket
s ('ProfiCard'), and semester tickets for the students of all major universities in Hamburg, both heavily discounted. The HVV also offers tickets over mobile phones.
Most tickets are not transferable to other persons.
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
in and around Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Its main objectives are to provide the user with a unified fare system, requiring only a single ticket for journeys with transfers between different operating companies, and to further facilitate and speed up travel by harmonising the individual companies' schedules. At its inception in 1965, HVV was the first organisation of this kind worldwide.
In 2010 HVV provides rail, bus and ferry transportation for an area of 8,616 square kilometres with approximately 3.4 million inhabitants in the states of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
and Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
. HVV has approximately 1.95 million customers on an average working day.
HVV acts as an overall coordinating body for transport in the Hamburg conurbation, with representation by the Hamburger Hochbahn
Hamburger Hochbahn
Hamburger Hochbahn AG or HHA is a company operating the underground system and large parts of the bus system in Hamburg, Germany, founded in 1911 it is headquartered in Hamburg.-History:...
(Hamburg elevated railway); Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
(German Federal Railroads); AKN railway company
AKN Eisenbahn
AKN Eisenbahn AG is a railway company operating commuter and freight trains in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. The company headquarters is located in Kaltenkirchen...
(Altona—Kaltenkirchen—Neumünster Railway); HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst
HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst
The HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst AG is a local public transport company in Hamburg, Germany. It owns and operates the ferries across the Elbe river, overseen by the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund...
A. G. (HADAG sea-tourism and ferry service plc); VHH (Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein A.G./ Transporting enterprises Hamburg Holstein Ltd); PVG (Pinneberger Verkehrsgesellschaft, mbH/ Pinneberger public transport company, Ltd); and KVG (Kraftverkehrgesellschaft, GmbH/ Motor Traffic Company, LLC).
With an average of 50,000 commuters per day the HVV bus line Metrobus 5 is the busiest line in Europe. In the city centre, stops are served without a specific schedule every two to three minutes and since December 2005, the world's longest, double-articulated buses
Bi-articulated bus
A bi-articulated bus or double articulated bus is an extension of an articulated bus in that it has three passenger compartment sections instead of two. This also involves the addition of an extra axle...
are used.
History
HVV was founded on November 29, 1965 with the four initial partners the Hamburger Hochbahn AG, the Deutsche BundesbahnDeutsche Bundesbahn
The Deutsche Bundesbahn or DB was formed as the state railway of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany on September 7, 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft '...
, the HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst AG and Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH).
Organisation
The public transport authorities (PTAs) are also the tendering organizations and owners of the limited liability company Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (GmbH). The Free and Hanseatic city of HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
(85.5%), the State of Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
(3%), the State of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
(2%) and the Districts Herzogtum Lauenburg
Lauenburg (district)
Herzogtum Lauenburg is the southernmost Kreis, or district, of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bordered by the district of Stormarn, the city of Lübeck, the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , the state of Lower Saxony , and the city state of Hamburg...
, Pinneberg
Pinneberg (district)
Pinneberg is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Steinburg and Segeberg, the city of Hamburg and the state of Lower Saxony .-History:...
, Segeberg
Segeberg
Segeberg is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Pinneberg, Steinburg and Rendsburg-Eckernförde, the city of Neumünster, the districts of Plön, Ostholstein and Stormarn, and the city state of Hamburg.-History:The history of the district is connected with the...
, Stormarn
Stormarn
Stormarn is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Segeberg and Ostholstein, the city of Lübeck, the district of Lauenburg, and the city-state of Hamburg.-History:...
, Harburg
Harburg
Harburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It takes its name from the town of Harburg upon Elbe, which used to be the capital of the district but is now part of Hamburg...
, Lüneburg
Lüneburg (district)
Lüneburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Lüchow-Dannenberg, Uelzen, Heidekreis and Harburg, and the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania .-History:The Amt of Lüneburg appeared in 1862...
and Stade
Stade (district)
Stade is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Harburg, Rotenburg and Cuxhaven, the Elbe River, and the city state of Hamburg.-History:...
(9.5%) are these PTAs.
Rail transport
- AKN EisenbahnAKN EisenbahnAKN Eisenbahn AG is a railway company operating commuter and freight trains in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. The company headquarters is located in Kaltenkirchen...
(AKN) website , operating three commuter train lines - DB Regio AG (Region Niedersachsen/Bremen), part of Deutsche BahnDeutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
group, operating train lines - DB Regionalbahn Schleswig-Holstein GmbH (RBSH), operating rail services
- Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-WeserEisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-WeserEVB Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH is a German railway and bus company offering passenger and freight services that is headquartered in Zeven and Bremervörde...
, operating rail and bus lines - Hamburger HochbahnHamburger HochbahnHamburger Hochbahn AG or HHA is a company operating the underground system and large parts of the bus system in Hamburg, Germany, founded in 1911 it is headquartered in Hamburg.-History:...
, operating the three U-BahnHamburg U-BahnThe Hamburg U-Bahn is a rapid transit system serving the cities of Hamburg, Norderstedt and Ahrensburg in Germany. Although technically an underground, most of the system's track length is above ground. The network is interconnected with the city's S-Bahn system, which also has underground...
and many bus lines - metronom EisenbahngesellschaftMetronom EisenbahngesellschaftMetronom Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH is a non State-owned railway company based in Uelzen, Lower Saxony, the largest since December 2005. The company is exclusively for passenger and operates on behalf of the public transportation trains on the lines Hamburg-Bremen, Hannover and...
, operating rail services - NBE nordbahn Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH & Co. KG , operating rail services
- Nord-Ostsee-Bahn GmbH , operating rail services
- S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH , part of Deutsche BahnDeutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
group, operating the Hamburg S-BahnHamburg S-BahnThe Hamburg S-Bahn is a railway network for public rapid mass transit in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Together the S-Bahn, the Hamburg U-Bahn, the AKN railway and the regional railway form the backbone of railway public transport in the city and the surrounding area...
lines
Buses
The following companies are operating bus lines for the HVV:- Autokraft GmbH , operating bus lines
- Becker Reisen GmbH , operating two bus lines
- Dahmetal KG , operating bus lines
- Globetrotter Reisen GmbH , operating two bus lines
- KVG Stade GmbH & Co. KG , operating bus lines
- LBB Linienbus Berkenthin GmbH, operating two bus lines
- Ludwigsluster Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH , operating bus lines
- Mittelzentrumsholding Bad Segeberg-Wahlstedt GmbH & CO. KG, concessionary for some bus lines operated by Autokraft
- Omnibusbetrieb Storjohann GmbH & Co. KG ,operating bus lines
- Otto Strunk Omnibusbetrieb GmbH, operating bus lines
- Pinneberger Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (PVG), operating bus lines
- RMVB Ratzeburg-Möllner Verkehrsbetriebe mbH, operating bus lines
- Reese Reisen GmbH , operating bus lines
- Stadtverkehr Lübeck GmbH (SL), operating bus lines
- Stadtwerke Bad Oldesloe, Ratzeburg und Mölln , operating bus lines
- Süderelbe-Bus GmbH, operating one bus line
- Verkehrsbetriebe Osthannover GmbH, operating bus lines
- Verkehrsbetriebe Buchholz i.d.N. GmbH , operating bus lines
- Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH) website, operating bus lines
- VKP Verkehrsbetriebe Kreis Plön GmbH , operating bus lines
- VGS Verkehrsgesellschaft Südholstein mbH, operating one bus line
- Zerbin Busreisen GmbH, operating one bus line
Ferries
The HADAG Seetouristik und FährdienstHADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst
The HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst AG is a local public transport company in Hamburg, Germany. It owns and operates the ferries across the Elbe river, overseen by the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund...
is operating ferries on the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
river.
Other organisations
- Stadtwerke Norderstedt , operating one night bus line and coordinating public transportation in NorderstedtNorderstedtNorderstedt is a city in Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region , the fifth largest city in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, belonging to the district Segeberg.- History :Norderstedt was created by the merger of four towns on 1 January 1970: the towns of Friedrichsgabe and...
- Verkehrsgesellschaft Norderstedt mbH (VGN), owning two lines operated by Hamburger Hochbahn AG and AKN, respectively
- KViP Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft in Pinneberg mbH , an organization like the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund
Fare
Job ticket
Job tickets are monthly or annual season tickets, purchased en block from a regional transport association by public or private organisations for use by their staff....
s ('ProfiCard'), and semester tickets for the students of all major universities in Hamburg, both heavily discounted. The HVV also offers tickets over mobile phones.
Most tickets are not transferable to other persons.