Cologne Bus Network (KVB)

Overview

The Cologne bus network comprises around 60 lines ("more than 60" according to the KVB) on a route network length of approx. 735 kilometres; around 300 buses are in service for this purpose. By the end of 2025, 19 lines had already been converted to electric propulsion – line 133, as the first Cologne bus line, has been running exclusively electrically since 2016. In addition, SchnellBus lines (SB) run into the region. The KVB light rail network comprises 12 lines; the buses serve the districts not covered by the light rail.

Operator

The operator is Cologne Transport Company (KVB), which emerged in 1877 as a horse tram operation and is today the fourth-largest municipal transport company in Germany with around 4,000 employees; all services are integrated into the fare system of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (VRS).

History

Urban local transport in Cologne began on 20 May 1877 with a horse tram between Deutz and Kalk, operated by a private company for the city, which passed into municipal hands on 1 January 1900. The first motorised omnibuses ran through Cologne from 1925; from 1950 to 1959 a trolleybus briefly supplemented the service. Today, Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe AG (KVB), which is 90 percent owned by the Stadtwerke Köln and 10 percent by the city of Cologne, operates a network of light rail and bus lines and is increasingly relying on emission-free buses.

Line classes

• StadtBus lines 1xx (lines 100 to approx. 169): the urban basic network, e.g. lines 132/133 via Breslauer Platz/Hauptbahnhof and Neumarkt; 133 fully electric since 2016
• MetroBus-style main lines: high-frequency axes connecting light rail and S-Bahn stations
• SchnellBus lines (SB designation, e.g. SB55): express connections from and into the surrounding area
• Night services: at night, night lines serve the most important axes; uniform night line numbers apply within the VRS (e.g. NE lines)

Major hubs

• Breslauer Platz/Hauptbahnhof (ZOB Köln, central bus station beneath the Hauptbahnhof)
• Neumarkt
• Heumarkt
• Ebertplatz
• Köln Messe/Deutz
• Chorweiler and Porz Markt (outskirts hubs)

Further information

network_lines: around 60 bus lines (city lines 1xx, SchnellBus SB) on approx. 735 km; network_area: Cologne and surrounding area (VRS); network_status: In operation