Zickenheiner GmbH

What Zickenheiner GmbH does

Zickenheiner GmbH is a fourth-generation, family-owned public bus transport company founded in 1928 in Dierdorf and now headquartered at Friedrich-Mohr-Straße 10, Koblenz, Germany. The company operates scheduled local and regional bus services under the Personenbeförderungsgesetz (PBefG) on behalf of public transport authorities across Kreis Neuwied, Kreis Mayen-Koblenz, Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, and — since 14 December 2025 — Kreis Altenkirchen, where it took over the Raiffeisenregion Nord line bundle. Its fleet comprises roughly 120 buses in regular operations (within a broader group fleet exceeding 200 vehicles), covering approximately 940,000 scheduled kilometers annually and serving over 723,000 stops. Zickenheiner was the first bus operator in Rhineland-Palatinate to deploy hybrid buses in regular line service in 2013 and today runs one of Germany's largest private hybrid fleets, alongside conventional Euro VI diesel buses.

The company operates alongside core subsidiaries including KVG Zickenheiner GmbH (its main concession-winning entity), OVEM (Omnibusverkehr Eifel-Mosel), and minority equity positions in regional transport operators such as Rheinland Busdienste GmbH, RMV Koblenz, rhb rheinhunsrückbus GmbH, MVB Stadtwerke Neuwied, and VRW. Revenue is generated predominantly through regulated public service contracts (managed-services revenue model), supplemented by bus advertising. Pricing is set externally by the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Mosel (VRM), with whom Zickenheiner is a member; onboard telematics data feed the VRM app for live passenger information. Management is led by Managing Directors Axel Zickenheiner (third generation) and Dirk Zickenheiner (fourth generation), supported by family members Kim and David Zickenheiner as Assistants to Management. Zickenheiner has held DIN EN ISO 9001 certification continuously since 1997 (currently valid through 2027), the first bus company in the Koblenz area to do so.

Name

Zickenheiner GmbH

Legal name

Zickenheiner GmbH

Website

https://zickenheiner.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zickenheiner GmbH is a fourth-generation, family-owned German bus operator founded in 1928, providing scheduled public transport services under regulated PBefG contracts across four districts in Rhineland-Palatinate with a fleet of approximately 120 active buses and one of Germany's largest private hybrid bus fleets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Bus Transportation

NAICS

Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (48521), Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (485)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional Intercity Bus Operators (Scheduled) (THAIADAB), Intercity Coach Fleet Operations & Management Contractors (TLAFAFAJ)

Keywords

• Public bus transport
• Scheduled line services
• School transportation
• Demand responsive transport
• Hybrid bus operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Koblenz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Transport Service Contracts: Zickenheiner generates the majority of its revenue through regulated public transport contracts with government authorities (Kreise Neuwied, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis). The company operates scheduled bus services under the Personenbeförderungsgesetz (PBefG) as a contracted operator.
2. Bus Advertising: The company offers advertising space on its fleet of approximately 200 buses, allowing third parties to display marketing messages on vehicles visible to thousands of pedestrians and motorists daily.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zickenheiner GmbH operates scheduled public bus transportation (Linienverkehr) under contract to district authorities in the Koblenz-Mittelrhein region of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The company runs scheduled line services, school transportation, demand-responsive RufBus services, group travel, and a castle shuttle using a fleet of approximately 120 diesel, Euro VI, and hybrid buses. Its services are integrated into the VRM (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Mosel) tariff and ticketing system with real-time passenger information.

Product overview

Zickenheiner GmbH operates as a comprehensive public transportation provider offering scheduled bus services (Linienverkehr) across multiple districts in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The company manages over 200 bus routes with approximately 120-200 buses depending on source, serving tens of thousands of passengers daily. The core offering includes scheduled line services, school transportation, and call-based demand-responsive services. The company has positioned itself as an environmental leader with hybrid bus technology and maintains ISO 9001 certification for quality management since 1997. Key subsidiaries include KVG Zickenheiner GmbH, OVEM (Omnibusverkehr Eifel-Mosel), and Rhb Rhein-Hunsrückbus GmbH.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Linienverkehr (Scheduled Bus Services)
• Schülerverkehr (School Transportation)
• Anruf-Linienfahrten / RufBus (Demand-Responsive Call-Based Line Services)
• Gruppenfahrten (Group Travel Registration)
• Buswerbung (Bus Advertising)
• Rheinfels-Shuttle (Reichsburg Cochem Castle Shuttle)

Quantifiable outcome

• 94.10% punctuality rate (June 2026)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kreise Neuwied, Mayen-Koblenz, and Rhein-Hunsrück-KreiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Zickenheiner operates public bus services under contract to these three district authorities, who act as the public transport commissioners responsible for organizing local public transport under the Personenbeförderungsgesetz.
• KVG Zickenheiner GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZickenheiner GmbH operates in conjunction with KVG Zickenheiner GmbH, a related company entity. Both companies act together in operating bus lines, with KVG Zickenheiner GmbH specifically mentioned in news about contract wins and operational announcements. The website states Zickenheiner GmbH handles the website on behalf of KVG Zickenheiner GmbH.
• Rheinland Busdienste GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZickenheiner is a co-shareholder of Rheinland Busdienste GmbH, which in turn is a shareholder of RMV (Rhein-Mosel-Verkehrsgesellschaft) in Koblenz. This investment provides Zickenheiner with ownership stakes in regional transport companies.
• VRM Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Mosel GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorZickenheiner is a member of the VRM transport association, which sets unified fares, coordinates timetables across operators, provides a common ticketing system, and develops the VRM app with real-time bus tracking data from Zickenheiner's fleet.
• Omnibusverband Süd-West (OSW) and Bundesverband Deutscher Omnibusunternehmer (bdo)minorOthersZickenheiner is a member of OSW and through it the bdo (federal association), industry bodies representing bus transport companies at regional and national levels.
• rhb rheinhunsrückbus GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2003, Zickenheiner has been a co-shareholder of rhb rheinhunsrückbus GmbH, which operates local bus services in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis.
• OVEM (Omnibusverkehr Eifel-Mosel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZickenheiner co-founded OVEM in Daun and Cochem in 1998. OVEM operated bus services in the Daun (Vulkaneifel), Wittlich, Bitburg-Prüm, Rhein-Lahn, and Lahnstein areas. The Daun branch was closed in 2004 after RMV cancelled contracts.
• Beach Bus GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZickenheiner co-founded Beach Bus GmbH in Soest in 1989 as the first nationwide cooperation of bus tour operators for weekly trips to Spain, Italy, Yugoslavia, and Hungary. Axel Zickenheiner served as chairman of the supervisory board until 1995.
• MVB Stadtwerke Neuwied / VRWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZickenheiner became a partner of Stadtwerke Neuwied (MVB) in 1993 for the Rodenbach/Segendorf city route. In 2018, Zickenheiner 2018 GmbH became a shareholder of MVB and VRW, which operate transport in the Neuwied district.
• Rhein-Mosel-Verkehrsgesellschaft (RMV) KoblenzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZickenheiner acquired a joint concession with RMV in Koblenz through the takeover of Auto-Vogt in Boppard. Through Rheinland Busdienste GmbH, Zickenheiner holds a stake in RMV.
• Raiffeisen-Region Nord (Kreis Altenkirchen)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrom 14 December 2025, KVG Zickenheiner took over all lines of the Raiffeisen-Region Nord bundle in the Altenkirchen district, operating lines 116, 120, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 136, 138, 139, 149, and 160, significantly expanding the company's geographic footprint.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DB Regio Bus: DB Regio Bus is the bus division of Deutsche Bahn and Germany's largest bus operator, running scheduled regional and urban bus services nationwide under PBefG concessions. Comparable to Zickenheiner as a contracted public bus operator, but at vastly larger scale and national geographic scope.
• Hamburger Hochbahn: Hamburger Hochbahn operates Hamburg's urban bus and metro network under municipal contract. Comparable to Zickenheiner as a German contracted bus operator, though operating at urban metropolitan scale rather than rural/regional.
• Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB): LVB operates bus and tram services in Leipzig under municipal contract. Comparable to Zickenheiner as a contracted German public bus operator serving a defined regional service area.
• MVG Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft: MVG operates Munich's urban bus network and is one of Germany's largest municipal transit operators. Comparable to Zickenheiner as a German bus operator with contracted public service obligations, but far larger scale and metropolitan focus.

Others

• Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (VRS) operator network: VRS coordinates public transport across the Cologne-Bonn region, comparable to Zickenheiner's relationship with VRM as a transport association that sets tariffs and integrates member operators' real-time data.
• MAN Truck & Bus (Volvo Group): MAN supplies buses (including the Volvo 7700/7900 Hybrid models Zickenheiner operates) to German transit operators. Comparable as an OEM ecosystem participant and supplier to Zickenheiner's hybrid fleet, though not a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Verkehrsbetriebe Ludwigshafen (VBL): VBL operates scheduled city and regional bus services in the Ludwigshafen area under public service contracts. Comparable to Zickenheiner as a mid-sized German regional bus operator with municipal authority contracts.
• Regionalverkehr Köln (RVK): RVK is a regional bus operator in the Cologne metropolitan region running scheduled line services under concessions from local authorities. Highly comparable to Zickenheiner as a contracted German regional bus operator winning tenders with public transport authorities, though operating in a different (more urbanised) region.
• Omnibusverkehr Saar (OVS): OVS (or related SaarVV operators) provides regional bus services in the Saarland under PBefG concessions. Comparable to Zickenheiner as a contracted regional German bus operator winning tenders with district authorities.

Regional players

• Stadtwerke Augsburg Bus (swa): swa operates bus and tram services in Augsburg and surrounding region via a municipal utility. Comparable to Zickenheiner as a contracted German regional bus operator, but serving a different (Bavarian) geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zickenheiner-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Zickenheiner GmbH