Verkehrsgesellschaft Bremerhaven Ag

What Verkehrsgesellschaft Bremerhaven Ag does

Verkehrsgesellschaft Bremerhaven AG, operating commercially as BREMERHAVEN BUS, is the sole designated provider of municipal public bus transport for the city of Bremerhaven, Germany (tariff zone 250). The company traces its origins to 1881 as a horse-drawn tramway and has operated continuously through successive reorganisations, transitioning to pure bus operations in 1982 and adopting the BREMERHAVEN BUS brand in 2000. It is wholly owned by the city via the municipal holding company Bremerhavener Versorgungs- und Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (BVV), with the operating subsidiary Hanse Bus GmbH providing additional driver and vehicle capacity during peak event demand.

The operating footprint comprises 21+ bus lines (502–519, 798–801), the Hafen-Liner port connector, the Moon-Liner and Night-Liner weekend night services, and the Schnellbus S express route, served by a fleet of approximately 102 vehicles across more than 208 stops. The fleet is 100% low-floor since 2005 and is progressively transitioning to alternative drives: 7 hydrogen solo buses entered service on the Hafen-Liner in 2022/2023, with 3 eCitaro fuel cell articulated buses added in 2025. Operational technology includes the Rechnergestütztes Betriebsleitsystem (RBL) computer-aided dispatch system in use since 1992, battery-powered Axentia real-time passenger information displays at 98+ stops, BOB account-based contactless payment terminals across the entire fleet, and HOTSPLOTS-supplied WLAN on Line 502.

Revenue is generated primarily through farebox collections across the VBN (Verkehrsverbund Bremen/Niedersachsen) integrated tariff system, supplemented by subscription tickets (MIA/MIAplus, TIM, Jugend-FreizeitTicket, Deutschland-Ticket, UMSTEIGEN70), demand-responsive Anruf-Linientaxi (ALT) and Anruf-Sammeltaxi (AST) services, vehicle advertising, bus rental (charter), the Columbus-Ticket cruise terminal shuttle, and KombiTicket partnerships with local sports clubs (Eisbären Bremerhaven, Fischtown Pinguins, SV Werder Bremen) and Stadttheater Bremerhaven. Customer segments are diversified across general urban commuters, cruise passengers (~13M+ annual passengers historically), event attendees, and rural residents in surrounding districts served through the VBN-PLUS network.

Name

Verkehrsgesellschaft Bremerhaven Ag

Legal name

Verkehrsgesellschaft Bremerhaven AG

Website

https://bremerhavenbus.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Verkehrsgesellschaft Bremerhaven AG (BREMERHAVEN BUS) is the municipally-owned sole public bus operator for the German port city of Bremerhaven, running 21+ lines and a hybrid fleet including hydrogen fuel cell buses for residents, cruise passengers, and event attendees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Bus Transport

NAICS

Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (485), Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (48521), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)

akta.pro primary industry

Tour Bus Leasing/Rental (Sightseeing) (TLABADAK)

Keywords

• Public bus transport
• Municipal transit services
• Urban passenger transport
• Subscription ticketing systems
• Demand-responsive transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremerhaven

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 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. Passenger Ticket Revenue: Core revenue from sale of single tickets, day tickets, weekly and monthly passes (MIA, TIM, BOB), youth leisure tickets, and the Deutschland-Ticket across tariff zone 250 and the broader VBN network.
2. Vehicle Advertising: Sale of advertising space on the exterior and interior of buses. Used for corporate advertising and safety campaigns (e.g., ADFC 1.5m cycling distance campaign).
3. Bus Rental (Busvermietung): Rental of fleet buses (double-decker with 83 seats, and 48-seat coaches) for group excursions to regional destinations including Zoo Wingst, Aeronauticum Nordholz, Universum Bremen, and Heide Park Soltau.
4. Cruise Terminal Shuttle Service: Dedicated shuttle bus service from cruise port to central station, innenstadt, and cruise terminal for cruise passengers. Revenue from per-person fares of EUR 8 including luggage handling.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Verkehrsgesellschaft Bremerhaven AG operates scheduled public bus transport services in Bremerhaven, Germany under the BREMERHAVEN BUS brand, including 21+ city bus lines, the Hafen-Liner port connector, Moon-Liner and Night-Liner weekend services, school buses, and demand-responsive Anruf-Linientaxi (ALT) and Anruf-Sammeltaxi (AST) services. The company sells subscriptions and single tickets through the VBN tariff system, including MIA/MIAplus, BOB account-based ticketing, TIM, Jugend-FreizeitTicket, UMSTEIGEN70, Deutschland-Ticket, and KombiTickets with local venues. It also provides charter bus rental, cruise terminal shuttle (Columbus-Ticket), vehicle advertising, and free mobility training for elderly and disabled passengers.

Product overview

Verkehrsgesellschaft Bremerhaven AG operates as a municipal public transport company providing city bus services across Bremerhaven under the BREMERHAVEN BUS brand. The core offering is a network of 21+ bus lines including standard city routes, the Hafen-Liner port connector, and two night-line brands (Moon-Liner and Night-Liner), supplemented by demand-responsive Anruf-Linientaxi (ALT) and Anruf-Sammeltaxi (AST) services. The product portfolio spans ticketing — encompassing subscription tickets (MIA/MIAplus, TIM, Jugend-FreizeitTicket, UMSTEIGEN70, Deutschland-Ticket), the BOB account-based system, and event KombiTickets — alongside specialized offerings such as hydrogen bus operations, cruise terminal shuttles (Columbus-Ticket), bus rental, and free seasonal mobility training for elderly and disabled passengers. The company operates within the VBN regional transport network and deploys both standard articulated buses and alternative-drive vehicles (hydrogen fuel cell buses, diesel-hybrid articulated buses).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BREMERHAVEN BUS: Primary commercial brand for public bus transport services operated by Verkehrsgesellschaft Bremerhaven AG in Bremerhaven, Germany

Products and services

• Stadtlinien Busverkehr (City Bus Services) Local bus transport across Bremerhaven with 21+ lines including standard routes, express lines, and night lines serving all city districts. Designed for daily commuting, school transport, shopping trips, and leisure travel for residents and visitors.
• Moon-Liner (ML) Night bus service operating on Friday and Saturday nights connecting all city districts of Bremerhaven for late-night urban mobility.
• Night-Liner (NL) Late-night bus service supplementing Moon-Liner with additional connections on weekend nights in Bremerhaven.
• Hafen-Liner (HL) Special bus line connecting the port areas of Bremerhaven, linking Kaiserhafen and Fischereihafen via Barkhausenstrasse, Columbusstrasse, and Bismarckstrasse to the Hauptbahnhof.
• MIA-Ticket / MIAplus-Ticket Electronic monthly/annual subscription ticket stored on a chip card. MIAplus includes a EUR 20.00 monthly city subsidy from Bremerhaven (reduced to EUR 40.30/month from 01.01.2026). Valid on all VGB buses, trains, and regional buses in Zone 250, with VBN-wide weekend usage.
• BOB - DAS KONTO-TICKET Account-based ticket allowing cashless travel at day-best price throughout the VBN area without tariff knowledge; bookable via app, card, or account. Tap-and-go boarding with one-time registration.
• Jugend-FreizeitTicket Annual ticket for children and youth under 21 years valid on all buses and trains (2nd class) throughout the entire VBN region for leisure travel; priced at EUR 180.00/year.
• UMSTEIGEN70-Ticket Free annual mobility ticket for Bremerhaven residents over 70 who voluntarily surrender their driver's license. Valid in Zone 250 with companion transfer rule after 19:00 and on weekends/holidays throughout VBN.
• Deutschland-Ticket Germany-wide monthly pass for public transport; BREMERHAVEN BUS sells this subscription ticket via online application.
• TIM - das junge Abo-Ticket Annual subscription ticket for young people in school, vocational training, or volunteer service; valid throughout the VBN region every day including holidays.
• KombiTickets Combined event-and-transport tickets for sports venues (Eisbären Bremerhaven, Fischtown Pinguins, SV Werder Bremen) and Stadttheater Bremerhaven; event ticket serves as bus fare with extended validity (3-6 hours before events).
• Columbus-Ticket / Kreuzfahrt-Shuttle Shuttle bus service between Cruise Port Bremerhaven, Hauptbahnhof, and city center for cruise passengers; includes luggage transfer directly to cabin. Price EUR 8/person including luggage, children up to 14 free.
• Busvermietung (Bus Rental) Charter bus rental with modern double-decker bus (83 seats) and buses with 48 seats for group trips to destinations including Zoo Wingst, Aeronauticum Nordholz, Universum Bremen, and Heide Park Soltau.
• Anruf-Linientaxi (ALT) Demand-responsive taxi service operating on regular bus routes when passenger demand is pre-registered by phone at least 45 minutes before departure. May be served by taxi, minibus, or regular bus depending on demand.
• Anruf-Sammeltaxi (AST / VBN-PLUS Sammeltaxi) Shared taxi service supplementing regional bus connections in rural and peripheral areas of Cuxhaven district (Beverstedt, Dorum, Langen, Loxstedt, Hagen, Schiffdorf). Requires registration 60 minutes before departure.
• Mobilitätstraining (Mobility Training) Free seasonal training program for safe boarding and exiting with wheelchairs or rollators; conducted at typical bus stops with staff support; 10 sessions per year on Wednesday mornings from April to August, pre-registration required.
• SAiLTicket / SAiLTicket PLUS Special event tickets for SAiL Bremerhaven maritime festival; SAiLTicket (EUR 4/person) covers P+R bus rides between parking areas and event venues; SAiLTicket PLUS (EUR 6 adults, EUR 3 children) additionally includes Weserfähre ferry to Nordenham/Blexen.
• Wasserstoffbusse (Hydrogen Buses) Fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses operating since 2022-2023; expanded in 2025 with three eCitaro fuel cell articulated buses. Part of climate protection strategy aiming to use green hydrogen as energy carrier for zero-emission urban transport.
• Kundencenter (Customer Center) Customer service center at Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof offering personal consultation, ticket sales, schedule information, and lost property handling; open Mon-Fri 07:00-18:00, Sat 07:00-14:30.
• VBN-Tarife (VBN Standard Tariffs) Regional transport tariffs of the Verkehrsverbund Bremen/Niedersachsen association; BREMERHAVEN BUS is a member offering VBN-standard tickets including single, 4-trip, 10-trip, day, 7-day, and monthly tickets across the VBN network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% low-floor fleet enabling barrier-free boarding since 2005
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NordWestBahn (NWB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2008NordWestBahn operates the Regio-S-Bahn Bremen/Niedersachsen since 2010. BREMERHAVEN BUS and NWB share the NWB maintenance facility in Bremerhaven Wulsdorf, which was built through cooperation with the city of Bremerhaven as landowner. BREMERHAVEN BUS serves as the bridging partner in the NWB infrastructure setup.
• Verkehrsverbund Bremen/Niedersachsen (VBN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2005BREMERHAVEN BUS is a member of the VBN, a regional transport association comprising over 30 transport companies. VBN provides the common tariff, shared journey planner (FahrPlaner), mobile app, BOB account-ticketing system, and quality standards. The partnership enables cross-operator tickets valid throughout the VBN region spanning Bremen and Lower Saxony.
• Hanse Bus GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary of Bremerhavener Versorgungs- und Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (BVV). Hanse Bus GmbH provides additional bus and driver capacity during major events such as SAiL Bremerhaven. All employees from both BREMERHAVEN BUS and Hanse Bus GmbH are deployed together during large-scale operations.
• Weserfähre GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for the SAiLTicket PLUS event ticket, which combines BREMERHAVEN BUS rides with the Weserfähre ferry crossing between Nordenham/Blexen and Bremerhaven during the SAiL tall ships event. Ticket holders can travel on both bus and ferry services.
• Eisbären BremerhavenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKombiTicket partnership: Ice hockey club entry tickets serve as BREMERHAVEN BUS day passes valid 3 hours before game until service end. Basketball Express shuttle service provided after games in both directions.
• Fischtown Pinguins BremerhavenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKombiTicket partnership: Ice hockey team entry tickets serve as combined VBN tickets (bus, DB, NordWestBahn, BSAG) valid 3 hours before game. Eishockey Express shuttle operated post-game to north and south. Valid on EVB trains to/from Buxtehude and Cuxhaven.
• Stadttheater BremerhavenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKombiTicket partnership: Theater entry tickets serve as BREMERHAVEN BUS tickets 3 hours before performances until end of service. Additional late-night Anruf-Linientaxi (ALT) on Line 502 connects theater to main station.
• SV Werder BremenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKombiTicket partnership: Home game tickets serve as VBN-wide day passes for buses, trams, and trains valid 6 hours before kickoff. Not valid on IC or ICE trains.
• ADFC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCooperation on cycling safety awareness. BREMERHAVEN BUS provides advertising surface on bus exteriors to communicate the mandatory 1.5m minimum overtaking distance for cyclists. Campaign renewed in 2025 with enlarged messaging on the side of buses.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Weserfähr GmbH: Weserfähr operates the Weser ferry between Bremerhaven and Nordenham/Blexen, a strategic partner for BREMERHAVEN BUS through the SAiLTicket PLUS bundled offering. While not a direct bus competitor, it is an adjacent regional passenger transport provider in the same geography.

Direct peers

• Magdeburger Verkehrsbetriebe (MVB): MVB operates the municipal bus and tram network in Magdeburg under a similar municipal structure. MVB is comparable to BREMERHAVEN BUS as a mid-sized German municipal ÖPNV operator with combined bus and (historically) tram operations transitioning to low-emission fleet technology.
• KVG Braunschweig: KVG is the municipal bus operator for Braunschweig, providing urban and regional bus services under a similar municipal holding structure. Like BREMERHAVEN BUS, KVG operates within a multi-operator regional tariff association (VRB).
• Bremer Straßenbahn AG (BSAG): BSAG is the municipal public transport operator for the city of Bremen, sharing the same VBN tariff zone and BOB account-based ticketing system as BREMERHAVEN BUS. As a sister municipal operator within the same regional transport association, BSAG is the closest direct functional and geographic peer.
• SWB Bus und Bahn (Stadtwerke Bonn): SWB operates the municipal bus and light rail network in Bonn, Germany, with a similar scale (large fleet, comprehensive urban coverage) and municipal ownership structure. Both operators provide integrated urban and regional bus services under a municipal utility parent.
• ESWE Verkehrsgesellschaft (Wiesbaden): ESWE is the municipal bus operator for Wiesbaden, comparable to BREMERHAVEN BUS in fleet size, service portfolio (city lines, night lines, event shuttles), and municipal ownership. ESWE provides a near-analogue benchmark for mid-sized German municipal bus operations.

Emerging players

• Nordwestbahn (NWB): NordWestBahn is a regional rail operator in the Bremen/Niedersachsen region sharing infrastructure with BREMERHAVEN BUS (KombiTicket integration, shared depot). It is a peer through VBN co-membership and operational cooperation rather than direct bus competition.
• Regionalverkehr Köln (RVK): RVK is a regional bus operator in the Cologne metropolitan area and a notable German pioneer in hydrogen fuel cell bus deployment. RVK is directly comparable to BREMERHAVEN BUS on the alternative-drive fleet dimension, with hydrogen operations financed through federal programmes.

Broad incumbents

• DB Regio Bus: DB Regio is the regional bus and rail division of Deutsche Bahn, operating bus services across Germany including competing services in the broader VBN region. As a national incumbent, DB Regio provides the broadest regional bus benchmark for services adjacent to BREMERHAVEN BUS's territory.
• Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH): VHH is the regional bus operator in the Hamburg metropolitan area, providing both urban and rural bus services. While operating at a larger scale than BREMERHAVEN BUS, VHH serves a comparable market function as a municipal-adjacent bus operator in a port city context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verkehrsgesellschaft-bremerhaven

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Verkehrsgesellschaft Bremerhaven Ag