 | |
| Founded | 2005 |
|---|---|
Key people | Jochen Auler, Herbert Häner, Sebastian Nießen |
| Services | Rail services |
Number of employees | 210 (2016) |
| Website | www.vias-online.de |
The Vias GmbH (stylized VIAS) is a rail service company based in Frankfurt (Germany). The name of the company was taken from the Latin word via for way and the letter S for service. It operates rail services in the states of Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia.
The company was founded in 2005 by Stadtwerke Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main (VGF, the municipal transport company of Frankfurt) and Rurtalbahn GmbH (RTB) of Düren with both companies having equal shareholdings.
In March 2010, Danish State Railways announced that it had taken over VGF's shareholding with the help of its subsidiary DSB Deutschland GmbH. [1]
On 22 October 2010, Düren-based Vias DN2011 GmbH was founded by its shareholders, DSB Deutschland GmbH and R.A.T.H. GmbH with the aim of providing rail services. [2] This company was first registered as Vias Odenwaldbahn GmbH on 19 February 2014 [3] and renamed Vias Rail GmbH on 22 June 2015. [4] In the meantime R.A.T.H. GmbH had become its sole shareholder. On 13 December 2015, Vias Rail GmbH took over the public transport services on the Odenwald network from Vias GmbH. [5]
Vias has operated the approximately 210-kilometre-long Odenwald Railway network on behalf of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) and the state of Baden-Württemberg since 11 December 2005. It has also operated the East Rhine Railway since 12 December 2010 and the Pfungstadt Railway since 10 December 2011. It now operates on the following lines:
| Number | Route name | Route | Contract period | Rolling stock | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB 10 | Rheingau line | Frankfurt Hbf – Frankfurt-Höchst – Mainz-Kastel – Wiesbaden Hbf – Eltville – Rüdesheim (Rhein) – Lorch (Rhein) – Lorchhausen – St. Goarshausen – Koblenz Hbf – Neuwied | 12.12.2010 – 11.12.2038 | FLIRT | Runs on the tracks of the Taunus Railway, the Right Rhine Railway, the Lahn Valley Railway and the Neuwied–Koblenz railway |
| RE 19 | Rheingau-Loreley-Express | Frankfurt Hbf – Frankfurt-Höchst – Mainz-Kastel – Eltville – Rüdesheim (Rhein) – Lorch (Rhein) – St. Goarshausen – Koblenz Hbf (– Kobern-Gondorf) | 14.12.2025 – 11.12.2038 | Stadler Flirt 3XL | Runs bypassing Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof on the tracks of the Taunus Railway, the Right Rhine Line, the Lahn Valley Railway and the Moselle Line |
| RB 66 | Pfungstadt Railway | Darmstadt Hbf – Darmstadt-Eberstadt – Pfungstadt | 10.12.2011 – 11.12.2027 | Itino / LINT 54 [6] | Operated to 2015 by Vias GmbH, since by Vias Rail GmbH |
| RB 86 | Odenwald Railway | Hanau Hbf – Seligenstadt (Hess) – Babenhausen (Hess) – Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach | 12.11.2005 – 12.11.2027 | ||
| RE 85 | Frankfurt Hbf – Offenbach Hbf – Hanau Hbf – Seligenstadt (Hess) – Babenhausen (Hess) – Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach (–Höchst (Odenw) – Erbach (Odenw)) | ||||
| RB 82 | Frankfurt Hbf – Darmstadt Nord – Reinheim (Odenw) – Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach – Höchst (Odenw) – Erbach (Odenw) | ||||
| RE 80 | Darmstadt Hbf – Darmstadt Nord – Reinheim (Odenw) – Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach – Höchst (Odenw) – Erbach (Odenw) | ||||
| RB 81 | Darmstadt Hbf – Darmstadt Nord – Reinheim (Odenw) – Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach – Höchst (Odenw) – Erbach (Odenw) – Eberbach |
The designation of the lines corresponds to the numbering of the RMV.
Since the commencement of operations in the Odenwald, 22 brand new Bombardier Itino diesel railcars have been supplied by the Fahrzeugmanagement Region Frankfurt RheinMain GmbH (fahma) for the operations. The maintenance takes place in the workshop of Odenwaldbahn-Infrastruktur GmbH in Michelstadt, which is also the location of the operating centre. Four more sets of the same type were ordered by the RMV in August 2007 due to a lack of capacity and were delivered in the spring of 2010. These are also used on the Pfungstadt Railway, which was restored to operation from the 2011/2012 timetable change.
In addition, Vias also took over the RheingauLinie local service on the East Rhine Railway between Neuwied, Koblenz Hbf (and Stadtmitte), Wiesbaden Hbf and Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (RMV line 10) at the 2010/2011 timetable change in December 2010. 5 three-car and 14 four-car FLIRT electric multiple units were ordered for its operation. [7] [8]
In June 2021, the RMV announced that Vias GmbH would continue to operate the Rheingau route for another 15 years beyond 2023. The RheingauExpress (RE 9) would be put out to tender again in 2026. [9]
After a new tender for the operation of the Railway and the Pfungstadt Railway, Vias Rail GmbH took over these lines with a contract for twelve years from December 2015. The existing Itino vehicles would continue to be used, although capacity adjustments would be made for some journeys were made. In addition to the driver, at least one train attendant is present on all journeys. [10] In August 2019, the RMV announced that passenger demand in the Odenwald network had increased by over 50 percent to 15,000 people since the Vias began operating and the introduction of the improved timetable concept. [11]
On 21 November 2022, VIAS Rail was awarded the contract for the regional express line RE 19 between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and Koblenz Hbf, which will run every two hours from 2025 and replace RE 9. Some trips are already scheduled to start in Kobern-Gondorf (Mosel). New Stadler FLIRT locomotives are to be purchased. [12]
On 26 March 2015, the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr and Nahverkehr Rheinland (Rhineland local transport association) announced that Vias would operate the North Rhine-Westphalia Regionalbahn services RB 34 (Schwalm-Nette-Bahn from Mönchengladbach to Dalheim) and the northern part of the RB 38 service (the Erft-Bahn from Düsseldorf via Grevenbroich to Bedburg) from the timetable change on 10 December 2017. [13] The RB 38 would no longer use its whole former route from the timetable change; instead passengers would have to change in Bedburg. The northern part is operated by Vias and has been renamed the RB 39 . The transport association for the Rhineland (Nahverkehr Rheinland—Rhineland local transport) planned to electrify the southern (Bedburg-Cologne) section and operate it as an S-Bahn service, while the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr, which is the transport authority that administers the northern section of the route has rejected the electrification of the line for "transport and economic reasons." Twelve new Alstom Coradia LINT sets (nine LINT 54H and three LINT 41H) are operated on the two lines. The contract for operating the service was signed with the new operator Vias for twelve years on 16 April 2015. [14]
From 1 February 2022, Vias Rail operated line S 7 (Der Müngstener) and the Niederrhein-Netz (lines RE 19 and RB 35 ) subnetworks as part of an emergency award which were previously operated by the insolvent Abellio Rail NRW. [15] [16] [17] The transport contract for the Lower Rhine network has now been extended through direct award until December 2025. The S 7 has been operated by RheinRuhrBahn since December 2023.
Since the timetable change in December 2023, Vias has also operated the Ruhr-Sieg network consisting of the lines RE 16 (Essen – Iserlohn), RB 46 (Bochum – Gelsenkirchen) and RB 91 (Hagen – Siegen/Iserlohn). The Stadler Flirt electric multiple units were acquired from the previous operator DB Regio.
Vias therefore operates on the following lines in North Rhine-Westphalia and across borders to the Netherlands (as of 2024):
| Number | Railway used | Route | Contract period | Rolling stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RE 16 | Ruhr-Lenne-Express | Essen – Bochum – Witten – Hagen – Letmathe – Iserlohn | 10.12.2023 – 12.12.2034 | Stadler Flirt |
| RE 19 | Rhein-IJssel-Express | Düsseldorf – Duisburg – Oberhausen – Wesel – Bocholt/ – Emmerich – Arnhem (split/joined in Wesel) | 01.02.2022 – 14.12.2025 | Stadler Flirt 3 (multi-system) |
| RB 34 | Schwalm-Nette-Bahn | Mönchengladbach – Dalheim | 10.12.2017 – 09.12.2029 | Alstom Lint 41H |
| RB 35 | Emscher-Niederrhein-Bahn | Mönchengladbach – Krefeld – Duisburg – Oberhausen – Gelsenkirchen | 01.02.2022 – 14.12.2025 | Stadler Flirt 3 |
| RB 39 | Düssel-Erft-Bahn | Düsseldorf – Neuss – Grevenbroich – Bedburg | 10.12.2017 – 09.12.2029 | Alstom Lint 54H and 41H |
| RB 46 | Glückauf-Bahn | Bochum – Wanne-Eickel – Gelsenkirchen | 10.12.2023 – 12.12.2026 | Stadler Flirt |
| RB 91 | Ruhr-Sieg-Bahn Ruhr-Sieg-Bahn | Hagen – Iserlohn-Letmathe (split/joined) front set: – Siegen rear set: – Iserlohn | 10.12.2023 – 12.12.2034 | Stadler Flirt |
Former line:
| S7 | Der Müngstener | Wuppertal – Remscheid – Solingen | 01.02.2022 – 09.12.2023 | Alstom Lint 41H |
The Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn is a polycentric and electrically driven S-bahn network covering the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region in the German federated state of North Rhine-Westphalia. This includes most of the Ruhr, the Berg cities of Wuppertal and Solingen and parts of the Rhineland. The easternmost city within the S-Bahn Rhine-Ruhr network is Unna, the westernmost city served is Mönchengladbach.
The East Rhine Railway is a major, double-track, electrified railway line, running along the right bank of the Rhine from Cologne to Wiesbaden. The 179-kilometer (111.2 mi)-long line forms two Deutsche Bahn routes. Route 465 extends from Cologne to Koblenz, via Troisdorf, Bonn-Beuel, Unkel, and Neuwied. From Koblenz, Route 466 extends to Wiesbaden, via Rüdesheim am Rhein. Together with the Taunus railway, the line is used by Stadt-Express line SE-10 of the Rhine-Main Transport Association, which runs from Frankfurt to Koblenz and Neuwied.
The S28 Regiobahn is a S-Bahn line in the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn network. It is operated by Transdev Rheinland GmbH as a subcontractor of Regiobahn Fahrbetriebsgesellschaft mbH, who is the PSO operator on behalf of Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR).
Line S7 is an S-Bahn service on the Rhine-Ruhr network in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, between Wuppertal and Solingen. The line has been operated by RheinRuhrBahn since 10 December 2023 at 20-minute intervals, using Alstom Coradia LINT 41 diesel multiple unit vehicles.
The Rhein-Erft-Express is a Regional-Express service in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. It is numbered as line RE 8 and connects the cities of Mönchengladbach, Cologne, Bonn and Koblenz with each other and their surroundings, running hourly. It is complemented by a Regionalbahn stopping service, the Rhein-Erft-Bahn, running also between Mönchengladbach Hauptbahnhof and Koblenz Hauptbahnhof. On weekends it stops at some additional stations between Cologne Hbf and Koblenz Hbf. It is operated by DB Regio with Alstom Coradia Continental EMUs.
Au (Sieg) station is a railway junction in the town of Au in the municipality of Windeck, which is in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It lies on the Sieg Railway to Siegen, where the Engers–Au railway branches off to Altenkirchen, where it connects with the Upper Westerwald Railway (Oberwesterwaldbahn). Despite the town’s small population, the junction station is important for commuters from the districts of Altenkirchen, Neuwied and Westerwaldkreis for its connections towards Siegen, Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf and Aachen.
The Wupper-Express is a Regional-Express service in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) running between Aachen and Dortmund via Mönchengladbach, Düsseldorf, Wuppertal and Hagen. It is the third most widely used Regional-Express line in the area administered by the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) with approximately 24,000 passengers a day. The line is part of the Rhein-Ruhr-Express (RRX) network and is operated by National Express Germany.
The Rhein-Haard-Express is a Regional-Express service in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), running from Osnabrück via Münster, Recklinghausen, Gelsenkirchen, Essen and Duisburg to Düsseldorf.
The Rhein-Emscher-Express is a Regional-Express service in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), running from Düsseldorf via Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen and Dortmund to Hamm. It connects with the rest of the regional rail network of NRW in Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Oberhausen, Wanne-Eickel, Dortmund and Hamm. In addition, it connects in Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Oberhausen, Dortmund and Hamm with long-distance services.
Darmstadt Nord (north) station is a junction station in the city of Darmstadt in the German state of Hesse. The passenger station, which is served by trains of the Odenwald Railway and the Rhine-Main Railway (Rhine-Main-Bahn), has four platform tracks. Running parallel and north of the station are two additional tracks for freight traffic.
Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach station is a station on the Odenwald Railway in the town of Groß-Umstadt in the German state of Hesse. The station is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 5 station. The Odenwald Railway running from Eberbach branches at the station towards Darmstadt and Hanau. The station is located in the area administered by the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund.
Hessische Landesbahn is a regional transport company owned by the German state of Hesse, based in Frankfurt am Main. It provides bus and rail passenger transport services and, to a lesser extent, rail freight services in Hesse and across the state’s borders through its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Niederlahnstein station is, along with Oberlahnstein and Friedrichssegen, one of three stations in the town of Lahnstein in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is a separation station on the East Rhine Railway and the Lahn Valley Railway and is located in the Niederlahnstein district and forms a public transport hub for the Rhine-Mosel-Lahn area.
Oberlahnstein station is, along with Niederlahnstein and Friedrichssegen, one of three stations in the town of Lahnstein in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is a through station with 3 platform tracks on the East Rhine Railway and is located in the Oberlahnstein district. The adjacent former freight depot is now a brownfield site.
Eltville station is the railway station of Eltville in the Rheingau in the German state of Hesse, on the East Rhine Railway from Wiesbaden to Koblenz. It is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 5 station.
The Hellweg net consists of the four Regionalbahn lines in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia: RB 50, RB 59, RB 69 and RB 89. It has a length of about 370 km. The RB 50 is referred to as Der Lüner, the RB 59 as Die Hellweg-Bahn and the RB 69 and RB 89 together as Die Ems-Börde-Bahn. On 14 December 2008 operations were taken over by eurobahn. Previously these four Regionalbahn services were operated by DB Regio NRW.
The Rhein-IJssel-Express is a Regional-Express service in German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Dutch province of Gelderland. It runs from Düsseldorf to Arnhem, with a section splitting at Wesel to serve Bocholt. VIAS operates the service on behalf of Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR).
The Emscher-Niederrhein-Bahn (RB 35) is a Regionalbahn service in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It runs hourly between Gelsenkirchen and Duisburg with Mönchengladbach. Its name refers to the Emscher river and the Lower Rhine.
The Pfungstadt Railway (Pfungstadtbahn) is a single-track branch line that branches off the Main-Neckar Railway in Darmstadt-Eberstadt and runs to a station on the eastern edge of the inner town of Pfungstadt, in Hesse, Germany.
The Wupper-Lippe-Express is an hourly Regional-Express service in German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which forms part of the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn. It connects Wesel with Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof via Oberhausen and Essen.
