Busbetrieb Solothurn und Umgebung

Busbetrieb Solothurn und Umgebung (BSU) is a regional public transport operator in the Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland. It was founded in 1964 as Busbetrieb Solothurn und Umgebung AG, building on the Autokurs Solothurn-Wasseramt (ASW) that had started the first bus line between Recherswil and Solothurn in 1930. The company is structured as an Aktiengesellschaft with a mixed shareholder base: the Canton of Solothurn holds 24%, the City of Solothurn 33%, the municipalities served by BSU 24%, Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn 15%, and private individuals 4%. This ownership reflects the company's role as a publicly anchored regional transport provider. BSU operates ten lines with a total network length of 147 kilometres, serving the city of Solothurn, the Wasseramt district, the eastern part of the Lebern district, and some adjacent municipalities in the Canton of Bern. The fleet consists of 24 standard buses and 19 articulated buses, all Mercedes-Benz Citaro models from the manufacturer's Ulm plant, covering all generations of the O530 Citaro. Around 120 drivers carry approximately 6 million passengers per year. On the busiest commuter corridors, buses run every 15 minutes from Monday to Friday until 8 p.m., then every 30 minutes until shortly after midnight; on Saturdays the quarter-hour frequency applies from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with half-hour service at other times. The network has grown continuously over the decades. The largest expansion came in 1992 and 1994, when passenger rail services on the Solothurn–Herzogenbuchsee and Büren an der Aare lines were replaced by three bus lines. In 2020 three new lines were added: express line 10 from Solothurn main station to Luterbach Attisholzstrasse in August, and lines 15 and 17 with the December 2020 timetable change. Line 17 was discontinued in December 2024 due to low ridership. On 1 January 2025, BSU merged with Busbetrieb Grenchen und Umgebung (BGU) to form Busbetrieb Solothurn Grenchen und Umgebung AG. The merged company introduced the new mobility brand AREMO, with its first general meeting held in the Waldegg bus garage in Zuchwil and the first bus presented in the new AREMO design. AREMO describes itself as the leading transport partner in the region, employing around 230 people. The BSU name and website remain associated with the predecessor entity, while the merged operation markets itself under AREMO.

The history of Busbetrieb Solothurn und Umgebung (BSU) is rooted in two separate regional bus initiatives that eventually merged. In Solothurn, the Autokurs Solothurn-Wasseramt (ASW) started the first bus line between Recherswil and Solothurn on 13 November 1930. This marked the beginning of organized public bus transport in the region. Over the following decades, the ASW network grew, gradually extending into the Wasseramt district and along the southern foot of the Jura mountains. In 1964, Busbetrieb Solothurn und Umgebung AG was founded, formalizing the operation as a dedicated regional transport company. Parallel to this, a separate development took place in Grenchen. As early as 1918, a first attempt at public bus transport was made there. In 1945, the cooperative Autokurs Grenchen und Umgebung restarted services, and in 1975 the Busbetrieb Grenchen und Umgebung AG (BGU) was established. Like BSU, BGU expanded its network step by step with more lines, better connections, and more modern vehicles. Both companies grew steadily through the late 20th century. The largest single expansion for BSU occurred in 1992 and 1994, when passenger rail services on the Solothurn–Herzogenbuchsee and Büren an der Aare lines were replaced by three bus lines. This shift reflected a broader trend in Swiss regional transport, where bus services took over feeder and branch-line functions. By the 2010s, BSU operated ten lines covering 147 kilometres, serving the city of Solothurn, the Wasseramt district, the eastern part of the Lebern district, and adjacent municipalities in the Canton of Bern. The fleet consisted entirely of Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses from the Ulm plant, including 24 standard and 19 articulated vehicles, with around 120 drivers carrying approximately 6 million passengers annually. In 2020, BSU further expanded its network. In August, express line 10 began operating between Solothurn main station and Luterbach Attisholzstrasse, connecting the Attisholz Süd area to long-distance transport. With the timetable change on 13 December 2020, lines 15 and 17 were introduced. Line 15 linked the Steinhof SO enclave with Aeschi SO, providing connections to lines 5 and 7 toward Herzogenbuchsee or Solothurn, with some runs extended to Derendingen Oberstufenzentrum. Line 17 served the inner Wasseramt from Luterbach Attisholzstrasse via Derendingen and Biberist to Gerlafingen station, but it was discontinued in December 2024 due to insufficient ridership. A major structural change came on 1 January 2025, when BSU and BGU merged to form Busbetrieb Solothurn Grenchen und Umgebung AG. The merged company adopted the new mobility brand AREMO, described as "the new mobility brand for Solothurn and Grenchen." The first general meeting of the new company was held in the Waldegg bus garage in Zuchwil, where shareholders and guests were presented with the first bus in the new AREMO design. AREMO positions itself as the leading transport partner in the region, with around 230 employees ensuring that passengers travel safely, punctually, and comfortably. The BSU name and website remain as the predecessor entity, while the merged operation continues under the AREMO brand.

• First attempt at public bus transport in Grenchen

• Autokurs Solothurn-Wasseramt (ASW) starts the first bus line between Recherswil and Solothurn

• Restart of bus services in Grenchen with the cooperative Autokurs Grenchen und Umgebung

• Founding of Busbetrieb Solothurn und Umgebung AG (BSU)

• Founding of Busbetrieb Grenchen und Umgebung AG (BGU)

• Major network expansion as rail services on Solothurn–Herzogenbuchsee line are replaced by buses

• Further expansion as rail services to Büren an der Aare are replaced by buses

• Express line 10 from Solothurn main station to Luterbach Attisholzstrasse begins operation

• Lines 15 and 17 launched with the timetable change

• Line 17 discontinued due to low ridership

• BSU and BGU merge to form Busbetrieb Solothurn Grenchen und Umgebung AG; AREMO brand introduced

Regional public transport provider and leading mobility partner in the Solothurn and Grenchen area, operating under the AREMO brand after the 2025 merger.

• Regional bus lines (10 lines, 147 km network)

  BSU operates ten lines covering the city of Solothurn, the Wasseramt district, the eastern part of the Lebern district, and adjacent municipalities in the Canton of Bern.

• Express line 10

  Express bus line from Solothurn main station to Luterbach Attisholzstrasse, connecting the Attisholz Süd area to long-distance transport.

• Line 15

  Connects the Steinhof SO enclave with Aeschi SO, with connections to lines 5 and 7 toward Herzogenbuchsee or Solothurn; some runs extend to Derendingen Oberstufenzentrum.

• Line 17 (discontinued)

  Served the inner Wasseramt from Luterbach Attisholzstrasse via Derendingen and Biberist to Gerlafingen station; discontinued in December 2024 due to low ridership.

• Mercedes-Benz Citaro fleet

  24 standard buses and 19 articulated buses, all Mercedes-Benz Citaro models from the Ulm plant, covering all generations of the O530 Citaro.

1. 1AREMO – Busbetrieb Solothurn Grenchen und Umgebung AG: Unterwegs für die Regionaremo-mobil.ch
2. 2Geschichte AREMO – vom Arbeitsbus zum modernen ÖV-Unternehmenaremo-mobil.ch
3. 3Busbetrieb Solothurn und Umgebung – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
4. 4Busbetrieb Solothurn und Umgebung – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5BSU-Websitebsu.ch