What Rostocker Strassenbahn does

Rostocker Straßenbahn AG (RSAG) is the principal public transportation operator for the Hanseatic City of Rostock, Germany, providing tram, bus, and (via partner Antaris GmbH) ferry services across approximately 200 km of routes and 550 stops. Founded in 1881 and 100% community-owned (98% by RVV, 2% by the Hanseatic City of Rostock), the company operates under a direct-award municipal contract through 2030 and carries roughly 62 million passengers annually. Its technology stack includes modern low-floor tram (type 6N2) and bus fleets, hybrid and electric bus trials, TFT passenger information displays, video surveillance, contactless payment terminals (Girocard, Visa, MasterCard, Google Pay, Apple Pay), and digital channels consisting of the VVW journey planner, RSAG-App, and ABO-Kundenportal subscription portal.

Revenue is generated through unit-priced fares (€2.10–€10.10 single and day tickets), penalty fares (€60), and recurring subscriptions including monthly season tickets (€62–€174 zone-dependent) and the nationwide Deutschland-Ticket (€63/month standard, €43/month subsidized for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern seniors and trainees with €20 state subsidy). Distribution is omnichannel via onboard and stationary ticket machines, two customer service centers, a ~20-location partner agency network, the VVW mobile app, online shop, and ABO portal. Integration within the Verkehrsverbund Warnow (VVW) transport association enables seamless multimodal travel with Deutsche Bahn, rebus, Weiße Flotte, and Molli under a single tariff, representing the company's principal ecosystem advantage. Ancillary services include Park & Ride facilities (~2,500 spaces across eight sites), dial-a-ride taxis, a company driving school, heritage operations (depot12 exhibition, vintage vehicle rentals), and vehicle advertising.

Name

Rostocker Strassenbahn

Legal name

Rostocker Straßenbahn AG

Website

https://rsag-online.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Rostocker Straßenbahn AG operates tram, bus, and ferry public transport services across Rostock, Germany, serving approximately 62 million passengers annually on a 200 km network of 550 stops. The 100% community-owned municipal utility generates revenue through fares, monthly subscriptions, and the national Deutschland-Ticket under a concession running until 2030.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transportation Services

NAICS

Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (485)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Intercity Coach & Bus Operators (TLAFAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rail & Intercity Bus Booking Engines (THALADAD)

Keywords

• Urban public transport
• Tram and bus services
• Passenger transportation
• Deutschland-Ticket subscriptions
• Municipal transit operator

Headquarters

HQ city

Rostock

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Single and Short Journey Tickets: One-time ticket purchases for single rides and short journeys at ticket machines on vehicles and at stops
2. Day Tickets and Group Tickets: Single-use day tickets and group day tickets for multiple passengers
3. Season Tickets (Weekly, Monthly): Recurring subscription revenue from weekly and monthly season tickets purchased by regular commuters
4. Deutschland-Ticket Subscriptions: Monthly subscription revenue from Deutschland-Ticket products (regular €63/month, seniors €43/month with state subsidy, trainees €43/month with state subsidy)
5. Bicycle Tickets and Season Tickets: Additional fees for bicycle transport on vehicles and ferries
6. Penalty Fares: Revenue from increased transportation charges (€60) for traveling without valid ticket
7. Mobile Ticketing: Digital ticket sales through VVW app and online shop

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Rostocker Strassenbahn AG operates scheduled tram and bus public transport services across approximately 200 km of routes and 550 stops in Rostock and Warnemuende, supplemented by a ferry service to Gehlsdorf. The company sells single tickets, day tickets, monthly season tickets, and the nationwide Deutschland-Ticket subscription (€63/month standard, €43/month subsidized for seniors and trainees) through onboard machines, stationary vending machines, customer service centers, partner agencies, the VVW mobile app, and the ABO customer portal. Additional offerings include Park & Ride facilities, dial-a-ride taxi service, accessibility services, and the depot12 heritage exhibition.

Product overview

Rostocker Straßenbahn AG operates a comprehensive public transport system serving the Hanseatic City of Rostock and Warnemünde. The company offers a unified portfolio centered on its tram and bus network (approximately 200 km, 550 stops), supplemented by digital services including the RSAG-App for real-time journey planning and mobile ticketing, the ABO-Kundenportal for subscription management, and the Abfahrtsmonitor for real-time departure information. Ticket products include the Deutschland-Ticket (€63/month) and subsidized variants for trainees and seniors (€43/month). Core services encompass Park & Ride facilities, Dial-a-Ride taxi service, Ferry to Gehlsdorf, video surveillance, and accessibility features. The company also maintains heritage offerings through depot12 exhibition and vintage vehicle rentals. Digital operations are built on TYPO3 CMS, powered by HaCon for journey planning and integrated with VVW transport association for mobile ticketing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• depot12: Historical exhibition on the theme of RSAG's company history, located in Marienehe.

Products and services

• Tram and Bus Network Services
• RSAG-App
• ABO-Kundenportal (Subscription Customer Portal)
• Abfahrtsmonitor (Departure Monitor)
• Deutschland-Ticket (Standard)
• Deutschland-Ticket für Azubis (Trainees)
• Deutschland-Ticket für Senioren
• Park & Ride
• Fähre Gehlsdorf (Ferry to Gehlsdorf)
• Abruf-Linien-Taxi (Dial-a-Ride)
• Mobile Ticketing
• Fahrschule (Driving School)
• depot12 Heritage Exhibition
• Traditionsfahrzeuge Mieten (Vintage Vehicle Rental)
• Open Data Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 62 million passengers annually benefit from joint tariff and coordinated timetable
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• antaris GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2014Antaris GmbH operates ferry services between Kabutzenhof/Schnickmannstraße and Gehlsdorf. RSAG took over commercial responsibility in 2014 and ensures integration into public transport network and VVW tariff.
• Verkehrsverbund Warnow (VVW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 1997VVW is the transport association coordinating routes, tariffs, and schedules across Rostock region. RSAG operates as key partner alongside DB, rebus, Weiße Flotte, antaris, and Molli. The association serves 62 million annual passengers with unified ticketing and coordinated timetables.
• Deutsche Bahn (DB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDB regional trains integrated into VVW transport association enabling combined ticketing with RSAG buses and trams across Rostock region.
• rebus Regionalbus Rostock GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRebus regional bus services integrated into VVW tariff alongside RSAG urban transport network.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB): LVB operates tram and bus services in Leipzig within the MDV (Mitteldeutscher Verkehrsverbund) integrated tariff system. As another eastern German municipal operator, it is closely comparable to RSAG in scale, fleet composition and Verkehrsverbund participation.
• Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH): VHH provides urban and regional bus services in the Hamburg metropolitan region within the HVV tariff. It is a strong regional peer to RSAG given comparable reliance on municipal contracts, bus-heavy operations, and integrated tariff association membership.
• Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe (DVB): DVB operates the tram and bus network in Dresden, Saxony — a comparable German mid-sized city public transit operator running trams, city buses, and ferries on the Elbe, with a similar public-ownership structure and integrated Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe (VVO) tariff network.
• Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen (SSB): SSB operates the Stuttgart tram, bus and regional rail (S-Bahn) network. It is a directly comparable municipal multi-modal transit operator with similar responsibilities for tram, bus and integrated tariff services within the VRS Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart.
• Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (KVB): KVB operates the Cologne Stadtbahn (tram/light rail) and bus network within the VRS tariff system. Comparable to RSAG as a multi-modal, municipally owned urban transit operator with light rail and bus operations supported by state-regulated tariffs.
• Vestische Straßenbahnen: Vestische operates bus and tram services in the Ruhr/Westphalia region as a municipal transit company. It is comparable to RSAG as a mid-sized German public transit utility providing bus and rail within a regional Verkehrsverbund.

Broad incumbents

• Hamburger Hochbahn: Hamburger Hochbahn operates Hamburg's U-Bahn and bus services within the HVV tariff. As a major German municipal transit operator with both rail and bus modes, it is comparable to RSAG at a broader industry / incumbent level.
• BVG (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe): BVG is the much larger incumbent public transit operator for Berlin (U-Bahn, tram, bus, ferry), also integrated into the VBB tariff. While far larger than RSAG, it is the most relevant established German municipal operator covering an identical set of modes (tram, bus, ferry).
• MVG (Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft): MVG operates Munich's U-Bahn, tram and bus network within the MVV tariff system. As a larger German municipal operator with the same mode mix as RSAG (tram, bus, plus metro), it offers useful reference points for operations, network design and tariff integration.

Regional players

• rebus Regionalbus Rostock GmbH: rebus provides regional bus services in the Rostock region and is a core VVW partner alongside RSAG. While bus-only and region-focused rather than urban, it is directly comparable as a co-member of the same transport association and depends on integrated ticketing with RSAG services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rsag_rostock
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/RostockerStraßenbahnAG
• Facebookfacebook.com/rsag.rostock
• Instagraminstagram.com/rsag_rostock

Compliance4 records

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 Rostocker Strassenbahn