What Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen does

Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB) is the primary municipal public transport operator in Stuttgart, Germany, operating Stadtbahn (light rail), bus, and rack railway (Zahnradbahn) services across the Stuttgart metropolitan area. Founded in 1889 and structured as a public limited company (Aktiengesellschaft), SSB is integrated within the Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart (VVS) tariff association, coordinating fares, schedules, and ticketing with regional operators. The company serves daily commuters, students, seniors, social welfare recipients, corporate clients via the DeutschlandTicket Job program, tourists, and event-goers through a broad portfolio including the DeutschlandTicket (€58/month as of 2024), time-based subscriptions, single-ride tickets, KombiTicket event bundles, and the on-demand SSB Flex ride service operated in partnership with GHT Mobility GmbH.

SSB's technology stack comprises proprietary digital channels (SSB Move, polygo, SSB Flex apps), the CheckIn-BeOut automatic fare system using GPS, Bluetooth beacons, and activity sensors, station ticket machines, and a planned 2027 app relaunch. The company is also engaged in a major rail digitalization program, with Alstom retrofitting 215 S-Bahn Stuttgart electric multiple units with European Train Control System (ETCS) and highly automated control systems. Distribution spans two owned customer centers (with a third consolidating location planned at Lautenschlagerstraße 2), over 350 VVS sales points, digital channels, telephone support, and B2B employer partnerships. Heritage leisure assets (Killesbergbahn narrow-gauge railway, Straßenbahnmuseum) provide additional revenue diversification and community engagement.

The business model is dominated by passenger fare revenue and recurring subscriptions, supplemented by event-driven KombiTicket arrangements (with VfB Stuttgart, Staatstheater, Landesmesse Stuttgart, Porsche Arena, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, and others), on-demand ride fees from SSB Flex, and ancillary leisure revenue. Pricing is fully embedded within the VVS zone-based tariff system. Leadership comprises a Vorstand board led by Thomas Moser as Speaker alongside Mathias Hüske and Annette Schwarz, with Dr. Frank Nopper serving as Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender (Chairman of the Supervisory Board).

Name

Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen

Legal name

Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG

Website

https://ssb-ag.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB) operates Stuttgart's Stadtbahn, bus, and rack railway networks, serving daily commuters, students, corporate clients, and event-goers across the Stuttgart metropolitan area within the VVS tariff association.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Public Transit

NAICS

Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (48521), Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Intercity Bus Franchises/Concessionaires (Public Service Contracts) (THAIADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Transportation Reservations (Car Service, Limo, Shuttle) (HSACALAH)

Keywords

• Public transit services
• Urban rail transport
• Light rail operations
• Bus transit services
• Mobility ticketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Passenger Fare Revenue (Ticket Sales): SSB generates primary revenue through the sale of tickets for Stadtbahn, bus, and rack railway services. Revenue includes single-ride tickets, day tickets, weekly and monthly passes, and the Germany Ticket (DeutschlandTicket). Fares are structured within the VVS tariff zone system.
2. Subscription Products (Abos): Recurring subscription products including DeutschlandTicket, DeutschlandTicket Job, time-based tickets (ZeitTickets), and student/youth tickets. PolygoCard smart cards are used for subscription management.
3. Customer Center and Retail Sales: Revenue generated through physical customer centers (KundenCentren) at Hauptbahnhof and Charlottenplatz, offering personal consultation for subscriptions and ticket purchases.
4. SSB Flex (On-Demand Ride Service): On-demand transportation service via SSB Flex App for trips outside fixed-route coverage, with payment per ride through the app.
5. Event Transportation (KombiTicket): Revenue from event-driven traffic through KombiTicket partnerships where event entry tickets serve as transit fare tickets, benefiting from increased ridership to sporting, cultural, and trade event venues.
6. Leisure Tourism (Killesbergbahn, Straßenbahnmuseum): Revenue from tourist and leisure services including the Killesbergbahn narrow-gauge railway and the Stuttgart Tram Museum, including venue rentals for private events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB) is the primary municipal public transport operator in Stuttgart, Germany, providing Stadtbahn (light rail), bus, and rack railway (Zahnradbahn) services integrated within the VVS tariff association. Beyond core scheduled transit, SSB sells individual tickets, time-based subscriptions (ZeitTickets), the Germany-wide DeutschlandTicket, employer-sponsored DeutschlandTicket Job, student/youth and senior discounted fares, on-demand rides through SSB Flex, and combination event-transit KombiTickets. The company also operates the heritage Killesbergbahn narrow-gauge railway and the Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart as leisure attractions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SSB Move App: Mobile application for ticket purchasing and route planning
• SSB Flex App
• polygo-App
• KombiTicket
• Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart
• Killesbergbahn

Products and services

• Stadtbahn, Bus and Rack Railway Transit Services Scheduled multi-modal public transport services (Stadtbahn light rail, bus, rack railway) operating within the VVS transport association across the Stuttgart metropolitan area, available to general commuters, students, seniors, social recipients, and tourists.
• DeutschlandTicket (D-Ticket) Subscription Recurring monthly subscription providing unlimited access to all German local and regional public transport, sold and managed by SSB within the Stuttgart VVS area and usable nationwide, valid for individual passengers.
• DeutschlandTicket Job (Employer-Sponsored Subscription) Recurring monthly DeutschlandTicket subscription with employer subsidy, distributed by SSB to corporate clients (employers) who enroll their workforce through a dedicated Firmenkundenportal with joint data processing agreements.
• SSB Flex On-Demand Ride Service On-demand, app-booked ride service via the SSB Flex App covering areas beyond fixed-route Stadtbahn and bus service in the Stuttgart region, with payment per ride processed by LogPay Financial Services GmbH and PayPal/Braintree.
• KombiTicket (Combined Event-and-Transit Ticket) Combined event-entry and VVS transit fare product sold by partner event venues (sports, cultural, trade fair) in the Stuttgart region, enabling event attendees to use public transit included with their event ticket at no additional cost.
• VVS HotelTicket Hotel-guest transit pass distributed through Stuttgart Marketing partner hotels, valid across the VVS tariff area for up to 8 days for visiting tourists and business travelers.
• Killesbergbahn Heritage Railway Heritage narrow-gauge railway operating in Stuttgart's Killesberg park, offered by SSB as a leisure and tourism attraction including venue rental for private events.
• Straßenbahnmuseum Stuttgart (Tram Museum) Tram museum operated by SSB offering historical tram exhibits, tours, and private event venue rentals to the public and corporate/private event customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 350+ VVS sales points plus 2 SSB customer centers serving the Stuttgart metropolitan area
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart GmbH (VVS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSB operates as the primary urban transport operator within the VVS, the Stuttgart transport and tariff association. All SSB tickets are valid throughout the VVS network, and revenue is shared through the association's tariff system. VVS coordinates schedules, fares, and unified ticketing across all member transit operators in the Stuttgart region.
• Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for KombiTicket arrangements at Messe Stuttgart (airport exhibition center), covering all public and trade fairs including CMT, AMB, Intergastra, and Südback. Event entry tickets serve as VVS transit tickets for travel to and from the fairgrounds.
• VfB StuttgartflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFlagship KombiTicket partnership covering all VfB Stuttgart home games at MHPArena (first team) and GAZI-Stadion Waldau (second team), plus Stuttgarter Kickers matches. The KombiTicket enables event attendees to use public transit included with their match ticket.
• Staatstheater StuttgartcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKombiTicket arrangement for all performances at the Staatstheater Stuttgart across its various venues. Theater tickets serve as VVS transit tickets.
• Stuttgarter PhilharmonikerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKombiTicket for concerts by the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra. Concert tickets serve as VVS transit tickets.
• Kulturgemeinschaft StuttgartcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKombiTicket partnership for cultural events organized by the Kulturgemeinschaft Stuttgart across multiple venues. Event tickets serve as VVS transit tickets.
• Porsche Arena (MHPArena management)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerKombiTicket partnerships for events at the Porsche Arena and MHPArena, including Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg basketball games.
• Stuttgart Marketing GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership through which the VVS HotelTicket is offered: hotel guests booking through participating partner hotels receive transit passes valid throughout the VVS area for up to 8 days.
• Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle / Porsche-Arena venuescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKombiTicket for concerts and events at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle and Porsche-Arena, including Holiday on Ice and Weltweihnachtszirkus.
• Alstom (vehicle manufacturer)coreTechnology or IntegrationAlstom is retrofitting the 215 S-Bahn Stuttgart trainsets (series 430 and 423) with ETCS (European Train Control System) and highly automated control systems for future digital train operations. This is a critical technology upgrade for the Stuttgart rail network.
• eos.Uptrade GmbHcoreTechnology or Integrationeos.Uptrade GmbH (Schanzenstraße 70, 20357 Hamburg) operates the SSB ticket shop on behalf of SSB and has access to data for administration and analysis purposes. Also provides technical maintenance for SSB Flex and CheckIn-BeOut systems.
• LogPay Financial Services GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationLogPay Financial Services GmbH handles payment processing, payment method management, and billing for SSB ticket purchases (both online and CheckIn-BeOut system), as well as credit checks for the CheckIn-BeOut fare system.
• Baden-Württemberg-Tarif GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Baden-Württemberg-Tarif (BWTARIF) coordinates cross-regional transit fares and tariff integration across multiple transport associations in Baden-Württemberg, enabling seamless travel beyond the VVS area.
• PVS Relationship ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPVS Relationship Services (Stuttgart) provides telephone-based customer service and ride booking services for SSB Flex, handling customer inquiries and ride reservations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hamburger Hochbahn: Hamburg's municipal transit operator running U-Bahn, bus, and ferry within the HVV tariff association. Closely comparable to SSB in operating a Stadtbahn-equivalent metro plus bus network under PSO, with Germany Ticket participation and employer JobTicket programs.
• Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt (VGF): Frankfurt's municipal transit operator running U-Bahn, tram, and bus within the RMV tariff association. Comparable scale and multi-modal structure to SSB, with similar reliance on intra-metropolitan PSO revenue and DeutschlandTicket exposure.
• Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG): Munich's municipal transit operator running U-Bahn, tram, and bus within the MVV tariff system. Direct peer to SSB with similar multi-modal light rail/bus network structure, integrated fare association, and subscription product lineup.
• Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (KVB): Cologne's municipal transit operator running Stadtbahn (light rail), tram, and bus within the VRS tariff association. Highly comparable to SSB as a Stadtbahn-led operator under PSO contracts with subscription and event-partnership ticketing.
• ÜSTRA Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe: Hannover's municipal transit operator running Stadtbahn and bus within the GVH tariff association. Comparable to SSB as a German municipal AG operating light rail and bus under PSO with Germany Ticket integration.
• Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB): Leipzig's municipal transit operator running tram and bus within the MDV tariff association. Comparable to SSB as a tram-led municipal operator under PSO with DeutschlandTicket exposure.
• Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nürnberg (VAG): Nuremberg's municipal transit operator running U-Bahn, tram, and bus within the VGN tariff association. Comparable mid-sized German municipal multi-modal operator with similar digital ticketing and subscription strategy.
• Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG): Berlin's municipal public transport operator running U-Bahn, tram, bus, and ferry under PSO contracts. Directly comparable to SSB as a German municipal AG operating integrated multi-modal urban transit under regulated fares, with similar digital ticketing and subscription product strategy.

Regional players

• Wiener Linien: Vienna's municipal transit operator running U-Bahn, tram, and bus within the VOR tariff association. Regionally comparable German-speaking municipal AG, though operating under Austrian rather than German regulatory and tariff frameworks.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Bahn (DB Regio): Germany's national rail operator that runs the S-Bahn Stuttgart service interacting with SSB's Stadtbahn. Broad incumbent that overlaps in rail transit and competes/integrates with SSB within the VVS network, while operating across all German metropolitan regions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SSB.Stuttgart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stuttgarter-stra-enbahnen-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen