The Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (HVV) ( en, "Hamburg Transport Association") is a

transport association A transit district or transit authority is a government agency or a public-benefit corporation created for the purpose of providing public transportation within a specific region. A transit district may operate bus, rail or other types of tr ...

coordinating

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

in and around

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. 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 (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...

and

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...

. The HVV has approximately 1.95 million customers on an average working day.HVV Figures 2006, pdf (Retrieved on May 18, 2008 from the HVV website) The HVV acts as the overall coordinating body for transport in the conurbation, with representation by the

Hamburger Hochbahn Hamburger Hochbahn AG (HHA), founded in 1911, operates the underground system and large parts of the bus system in Hamburg, Germany. History The HHA was founded by Siemens & Halske and AEG as a consortium on 27 May 1911. The first chairman ...

(Hamburg elevated railway);

Deutsche Bahn The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder. describes itself as the se ...

(DB, German Federal Railways); AKN railway company (Altona-Kaltenkirchen-Neumünster Railway);

HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst The HADAG (full name HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst AG, literally "''HADAG Sea-tourism and Ferry service''") is a local public transport company in Hamburg, Germany. It owns and operates passengers ferries across the Elbe River, overseen by a ...

AG (HADAG sea-tourism and ferry service plc); VHH (Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein / Hamburg Holstein Transport Ltd), and KVG Stade (Kraftverkehrgesellschaft Stade, GmbH / Motor Traffic Company, LLC). 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 Hamburger Hochbahn AG (HHA), founded in 1911, operates the underground system and large parts of the bus system in Hamburg, Germany. History The HHA was founded by Siemens & Halske and AEG as a consortium on 27 May 1911. The first chairman w ...

(HHA),

Deutsche Bundesbahn The Deutsche Bundesbahn or DB (German Federal Railway) was formed as the state railway of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) on 7 September 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (DRG). The DB remained ...

(DB), HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst AG and Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH). 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 (PTAs) are also the tendering organisations and owners of the limited liability company Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (''GmbH''). The

Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

(85.5%), the State of

(3%), the State of

(2%) and the Districts

Herzogtum Lauenburg Herzogtum Lauenburg ( en, Duchy of Lauenburg; ) is the southernmost ''Kreis'', or district, officially called Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg (), of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bordered by (from the west and clockwise) the district of Stormarn ...

Pinneberg Pinneberg (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Pinnbarg'') is a town in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. It is the capital of the Pinneberg (district), district of Pinneberg and has a population of about 43,500 inhabitants. Pinneb ...

Segeberg Segeberg (; frr, Segebärj) is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by (from the southwest and clockwise) the districts of Pinneberg, Steinburg and Rendsburg-Eckernförde, the city of Neumünster, the districts of Plön, Ost ...

, Stormarn, Harburg,

Lüneburg Lüneburg (officially the ''Hanseatic City of Lüneburg'', German: ''Hansestadt Lüneburg'', , Low German ''Lümborg'', Latin ''Luneburgum'' or ''Lunaburgum'', Old High German ''Luneburc'', Old Saxon ''Hliuni'', Polabian ''Glain''), also calle ...

and

Stade Stade (), officially the Hanseatic City of Stade (german: Hansestadt Stade, nds, Hansestadt Stood) is a city in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. First mentioned in records in 934, it is the seat of the district () which bears its name. It is l ...

(9.5%) 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 (AKN) * S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH, part of

group, operating the

Hamburg S-Bahn The Hamburg S-Bahn is a suburban commuter railway network 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 s ...

* DB Regio AG (Region Niedersachsen/Bremen), part of

group * DB Regionalbahn Schleswig-Holstein GmbH (RBSH) *

Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser EVB 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. The company was created in 1981 by the merger of the two companies ' ...

, operating rail and bus services *

, operating the

U-Bahn Rapid transit in Germany consists of four U-Bahn systems and fourteen S-Bahn systems. The U-Bahn commonly understood to stand for Untergrundbahn (''underground railway'') are conventional rapid transit systems that run mostly underground, while ...

and many bus services in Hamburg *

metronom Eisenbahngesellschaft Metronom Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH is a German non-entirely-state-owned railway company based in Uelzen, Lower Saxony since December 2005. The company's activities focus exclusively on passenger transport, operating services from Hamburg to Brem ...

* NBE nordbahn Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH & Co. KG * Nord-Ostsee-Bahn GmbH Doppelgelenkbus 01 KMJ

Buses

The following companies operate bus services for the HVV: * 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 (SL) * Stadtwerke Bad Oldesloe, Ratzeburg und Mölln * Süderelbe-Bus GmbH (SBG) * Verkehrsbetriebe Osthannover GmbH * Verkehrsbetriebe Buchholz i.d.N. GmbH * Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH) * VKP Verkehrsbetriebe Kreis Plön GmbH * VGS Verkehrsgesellschaft Südholstein mbH, operating one line * Zerbin Busreisen GmbH, operating one line

Ferries

operates ferries on the

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...

river.

Other organisations

* Stadtwerke Norderstedt, operating one night bus line and coordinating public transport in Norderstedt * Verkehrsgesellschaft Norderstedt mbH (VGN), owing the Norderstedt part of the underground line U1 and a railway line operated by Hamburger Hochbahn AG respective AKN Ticket machine Hamburger Verkehrsverbund

Ticket machine Hamburger Verkehrsverbund

Fares

The unified fare system includes cash ticket sales (16%), season tickets (for week, month, or year) (72%) and disabled passengers, combined tickets, fare evaders, etc. (12%). In 2011, ticket revenue was €652.2 million. Cash tickets for one ride or the day can be bought at all railway stations, ferry slots or in all buses. There are also "family tickets" (for 2 adults and 3 children) or group tickets for up to 5 adults. The HVV offers travel passes ('ProfiCard'), and semester tickets for the students of all major universities, both heavily discounted. The HVV also offers tickets over mobile phones.HVV website information German version. Retrieved on May 27, 2008 Most tickets are not transferable to other persons.

Special programs

The HVV offers a variety of types of weekly or monthly special fares.HVV website information English version. Retrieved on May 27, 2008

School pupils, students, trainees and apprentices

For all public school pupils, tickets can be bought at the company service centers. Other schools need to be registered by the HVV. The semester tuition for most universities include the ticket pass. Trainees and apprentices need be registered by the chamber of commerce to get a season ticket.

Children

All children to the age of six are free of charge. For older children, seasonal tickets can be chosen.

Senior citizens

Weekly or monthly tickets for anybody 63 or older are sold at service centers.

References

External links

HVV homepage (English version)
{{Authority control Companies based in Hamburg Transport in Hamburg Transport associations in Germany 1965 establishments in West Germany Transport companies established in 1965