knowledge Overview
With around 700 bus lines in the entire hvv area, the Hamburg bus network is one of the densest in Germany; the Hamburger Hochbahn alone operates 117 of these lines (as of 2023) with around 1,460 stops in the city of Hamburg. The Hochbahn carries around 1.3 million passengers daily (bus and U-Bahn combined) and provides about half of all local transport services in the hvv.
Operator
The operator is Hamburger Hochbahn AG (HOCHBAHN), owned by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg; in addition to the buses it also operates four U-Bahn lines. In the city area and surrounding region, city and regional buses of other companies also run on behalf of the hvv.
History
On 31 October 1839, the Hamburg–Altona line ran as the city's first horse-drawn omnibus line. The age of the motor bus began on 5 December 1921, when the Hamburger Hochbahn AG (HOCHBAHN) opened a first trial line between Schlump and Landwehr; on 1 December 1924, the first permanently established omnibus line from Eppendorfer Baum via Dammtor and Stephansplatz to Rathausmarkt entered service. Today, with around 1,100 buses, the HOCHBAHN operates one of the largest city bus networks in Germany and is converting it step by step to electric buses.
Line classes
- MetroBus (lines 1–27): around 25 basic lines on the most important urban corridors, dense frequency during the day, connections to rapid transit and regional services
- SchnellBus (lines 31–49): around 10 direct lines with few intermediate stops from the surrounding area and city outskirts to the centre, for a surcharge
- EilBus (E40–E86): express lines to rapid transit stations, mainly during rush hour
- Night bus (lines 600–688): on weekday nights (Sun–Thu) every 30–60 minutes, the meeting point of all night lines is the Rathausmarkt; at weekends, continuous night services complement U-Bahn and S-Bahn
- City and regional buses: numbers from 100, connections into the surrounding area
Major hubs
- Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB) Hamburg at the Hauptbahnhof
- Rathausmarkt (central night transport hub)
- Bahnhof Altona
- Bahnhof Harburg
- Krayenkamp/Landungsbrücken (connection to Elbe ferries)
Further information
network_lines: 117 bus lines of the Hochbahn (2023); MetroBus 1–27, SchnellBus 31–49, EilBus E40–E86, NachtBus 600–688; network_area: Hamburg and hvv surrounding area; network_status: In operation