The Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe (Upper Elbe Transport Association or VVO) 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 ...

run by

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, typi ...

providers in the Saxon Elbeland area of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

state of

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a ...

. The VVO area comprises the city of

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

, together with the districts of

Meißen Meissen (in German orthography: ''Meißen'', ) is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrech ...

and

Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains (german: Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge) is a district ('' Kreis'') in Saxony, Germany. It is named after the mountain ranges Saxon Switzerland and Eastern Ore Mountains. History The district was estab ...

, and the north-western part of the district of

Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Budi ...

. On 24 May 1998, a uniform public transport tariff system was adopted by the VVO's member companies. The joint area is divided into 21 tariff zones, the largest of which extends over the entire city of Dresden.

Members

The following companies are members of the association: * DB Regio AG * Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe AG * Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn * * * Regionalverkehr Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge GmbH * Sächsische Dampfeisenbahngesellschaft mbH * * *

Transport modes

The Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe covers a broad spectrum of transport modes. These include the regional trains operated by

DB Regio DB Regio AG is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates regional and commuter train services in Germany. DB Regio AG, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Deutsche Bahn Group and there part of the DB Regio bu ...

and

Städtebahn Sachsen The Städtebahn Sachsen was a railway company that operated regional train services in Saxony, Germany by order of Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe. Städtebahn was a subsidiary of ''Nordbayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft'' (NBE) and started its operation ...

, the Dresden S-Bahn system, two narrow gauge steam railway lines, the city

trams 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 ar ...

of Dresden, the

Kirnitzschtal Tramway The Kirnitzschtal tramway, also known as the ''Kirnitzschtalbahn'', is an electric tramway in Saxony, Germany. The line runs through the valley of the Kirnitzsch river in Saxon Switzerland, from the town of Bad Schandau up to the Lichtenhain Wate ...

, city and regional buses as well as ferries across the Elbe in

Meissen Meissen (in German orthography: ''Meißen'', ) is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albre ...

and

Saxon Switzerland Saxon Switzerland (german: Sächsische Schweiz) is a hilly climbing area and national park around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany. Together with the Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic it forms the Elbe Sand ...

. In addition, there are some more unusual modes, which the VVO network terms special tourist services. These include two

funicular 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 ...

s in Dresden, the

Standseilbahn Dresden The Dresden Funicular Railway (german: Standseilbahn Dresden) is a funicular in Dresden, Germany, connecting the districts of Loschwitz, near the "Blue Wonder" bridge, and Weisser Hirsch. The railway is one of two funicular railways in Dresden, ...

and the

Schwebebahn Dresden The Dresden Suspension Railway (german: Schwebebahn Dresden) is a suspended funicular located in Dresden, Germany, and connects the districts of Loschwitz and Oberloschwitz (Rochwitz side). It is one of the oldest suspension railways, having ...

. Also included are the

Kirnitzschtalbahn The Kirnitzschtal tramway, also known as the ''Kirnitzschtalbahn'', is an electric tramway in Saxony, Germany. The line runs through the valley of the Kirnitzsch river in Saxon Switzerland, from the town of Bad Schandau up to the Lichtenhain Wat ...

, a rural tramway line, and the

Bad Schandau Elevator The Bad Schandau Elevator is a passenger truss-tower elevator built in 1904 at Bad Schandau, a spa town in Saxony, Germany. The height of the elevator is , in an art nouveau-style steel framework tower, which has a diameter of at the ground an ...

, both located in the scenic

area. Although the special tourist services are part of the grouping they are subject to special tariffs, and the standard VVO fares do not apply.

References

External links

VVO online - official website in German
* {{Authority control Transport in Saxony Companies based in Dresden Transport in Dresden Transport associations in Germany 1998 establishments in Germany Transport companies established in 1998