The Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe Transport Company, VBK) is the municipal transport company of the city of

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...

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 ...

. It runs the

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

and

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

network within the city, as well as the

Turmbergbahn The Turmbergbahn is a funicular railway in Karlsruhe in Germany. It is the oldest operating funicular in Germany. From Karlsruhe's former center Durlach, the line climbs the Turmberg, which on a clear day provides a lookout point with views of ...

funicular railway A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...

. The VBK is a member of the Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund (Karlsruhe Transport Association, KVV) that manages a common public transport structure for Karlsruhe and its surrounding areas. The VBK is also a partner, with the

Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft ''Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft'' ('Alb Valley Transport Company', AVG) is a company owned by the city of Karlsruhe that operates rail and bus services in the Karlsruhe area, southwest Germany. It is a member of the '' Karlsruher Verkehrsverbu ...

(Alb Valley Transport Company, AVG) and

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), in the operation of the Karlsruhe tramway network, and the

Karlsruhe Stadtbahn The Karlsruhe Stadtbahn is a German tram-train system combining tram lines in the city of Karlsruhe with railway lines in the surrounding countryside, serving the entire region of the middle upper Rhine valley and creating connections to neighbou ...

, the pioneering

tram-train A tram-train is a type of light rail vehicle that meets the standards of a light rail system (usually an urban street running tramway), but which also meets national mainline standards permitting operation alongside mainline trains. This all ...

system that serves a larger area around the city.

Stadtbahn

Tramways

Buses

Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe and its predecessor have operated bus services since 1911, some with their own vehicles and some operated by subcontractors. The first bus line opened between Mühlburg and Daxlanden on 30 December 1911 and operated for only three months due to large losses. In 1926, another bus service was established to Rüppurr and it continued until 1931. In 1928, the first bus line that still exists today was opened, connecting to the Weiherfeld district. Other bus routes were established over the decades to complement the tram network. Today the bus network has 23 lines and they are organised as feeder services to the tram and Stadtbahn networks.

References

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External links

* * * * {{Authority control Transport in Karlsruhe Public transport operators of Germany Tram transport in Germany Companies based in Baden-Württemberg Companies based in Karlsruhe