Our mission

eurobahn provides transport on 15 lines on behalf of the VRR, NWL, LNVG and Overijssel province. But how exactly are services allocated? And in which networks, with how many trains, and since when has eurobahn been active? In the following we will give you some useful insights and overviews.

eurobahn network
Ostwestfalen-Lippe-Network
since
Hellweg-Network
since 2008
Maas-Rhein-Lippe-Network
since 2009
Teutoburger-Wald-Network
from 9.12.2017
Thalys
from 2017

The role of the transport authority

Since the regionalisation act came into force on 27 December 1993, local public transport service providers have been responsible for the organisation and financing of local public transport. This also includes regional rail passenger transport. eurobahn currently serves three networks; from December 2017 this will be four and from 2019 it will serve five networks.

Who are the transport authorities?

Transport authorities are public bodies. For the most part, these are limited companies. Their employees generally have particular competences in law, economics and operational planning. In North Rhine-Westphalia there are three transport authorities: the Rhine-Ruhr regional transport association (VRR), the Westphalia-Lippe regional transport association (NWL) and the Rhineland regional transport association (NVR).

NWL

Members of the Zweckverband Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (NWL) are the five Westphalian purpose associations ZRL, ZVM, VVOWL, NPH and CFB.

 

VRR

The Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) comprises as regional public transport authority (PTA) the Ruhr region, the Lower Rhine, parts of 'Bergisches land' as well as the state capital Düsseldorf.

 

LNVG

The Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen MBH is our public transport authority (PTA) for Lower Saxony.

 

 

Provincie Overijssel

Provincie Overijssel is our public transport authority (PTA) on the Dutch side under the TWN contract.

 

How does the system work?

The structure of regional rail passenger transport mirrors the federal system in place in Germany. The 16 German states manage the service providers that organise, finance and regulate regional train transport. These 27 transport authorities throughout Germany tender for transport services and award transport contracts. Railway undertakings such as eurobahn bid for these tenders and fulfil contracts for a fixed period of time.

16 German states

manage the service providers that organise regional train transport.

27 transport authorities

tender for transport services and award transport contracts.

Over 80 rail transport companies

Rail transport companies fulfil the contracts.