Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft in Pinneberg

Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft in Pinneberg mbH (KViP) is a regional bus transport company based in Uetersen in the Pinneberg district of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It was founded on 7 December 1993, and on 1 January 1994 it took over staff, operating equipment and route concessions from Uetersener Eisenbahn AG, which had previously run bus services in the Uetersen, Heidgraben, Tornesch, Appen and Pinneberg area outside the Hamburg transit association (HVV). The company is organised as a GmbH and its shareholders have included the Pinneberg district, the Wirtschafts- und Aufbaugesellschaft des Kreises Pinneberg mbH, Pinneberger Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (PVG), Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein AG (VHH) and Otto Strunk Omnibusbetrieb GmbH. KViP operates numerous bus routes in the Pinneberg district, north-west of Hamburg, within the HVV. According to the German Wikipedia entry, it employs around 160 people and uses about 60 buses on 20 routes. Its central service point is at Bahnstraße 15 in Uetersen, near the Ostbahnhof, where customers can obtain HVV tickets, timetables and lost-property services. Additional service points are located in Tornesch, Pinneberg, Elmshorn and Wedel, often in or near railway stations. The company has a long history of cooperation with other operators. In the 1990s and 2000s it held joint concessions with PVG, VHH and Autokraft for various routes. Since the end of 2010 its routes have used four-digit numbers in the 60xx range for bus services in the Pinneberg district. KViP has also been involved in electric mobility: in May 2012 it presented its first fully electric bus, a GuangDong Eurabus 600 from China, which entered regular service in July 2012. KViP is also linked to the Uetersener Eisenbahn AG, which since 2014 has been a wholly owned subsidiary of KViP acting as a property company. From 2008 to 2020, Norddeutsche Eisenbahngesellschaft Niebüll GmbH (NEG Niebüll) was responsible for operating its railway infrastructure. In August 2020, Uetersener Eisenbahn AG was renamed Uetersener Eisenbahn- und Infrastrukturgesellschaft mbH. KViP remains an active regional transport provider, communicating current service changes and information through its website and a WhatsApp channel.

Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft in Pinneberg mbH (KViP) was founded on 7 December 1993. One month later, on 1 January 1994, it took over the employees, operating resources and route concessions from Uetersener Eisenbahn AG, which had previously operated bus services in the Uetersen, Heidgraben, Tornesch, Appen and Pinneberg area within the then-existing Verkehrsgemeinschaft im Kreis Pinneberg (ViP), outside the HVV. The shareholders of KViP were the Pinneberg district (51%), Wirtschafts- und Aufbaugesellschaft des Kreises Pinneberg mbH (22.5%), Pinneberger Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (PVG, 20%), Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein AG (VHH, 6%) and Otto Strunk Omnibusbetrieb GmbH (0.5%). By mid-1995 KViP operated several bus routes, including line 60 (Anrufsammelbus), 61, 62, 63, 63A, 64 (city ring line Uetersen), 65, 66, 67 and 68. In 1996 KViP ran nine bus routes under its own concession (817,000 km of operating performance), plus five routes under joint concessions with PVG as operating manager, and further PVG routes as contract services within the HVV. Total operating performance in 1996 was 1.367 million km, with operating expenses of 6.264 million DM and operating revenues of 5.171 million DM; sales revenues amounted to 4,811,156 DM. It employed 43 people (5 in administration) and used 22 buses, including an articulated bus (Mercedes-Benz O 305 G) acquired second-hand from Stadtwerke Lübeck (SL) at the end of 1996. From December 1995 KViP introduced the stable, informative bus stop poles with a square profile common in Hamburg, being the first transport company in northern Germany to equip them in red to distinguish them from the then-yellow poles of HVV stops. Route concessions in the Pinneberg district were now generally issued to KViP or as joint concessions with it. On 1 July 1999 KViP's website went online. In mid-2000 construction began on new operating facilities at the depot. In 2001 a new washing and care hall was completed, and the old workshop and former washing hall were converted. When route concessions in the Pinneberg district (except Elmshorn city transport) were renewed from 2002, they were awarded as joint concessions with KViP. KViP received joint concessions (roughly in order of award) for lines 76 (with PVG), 489 and 589 (with PVG), 585 (with PVG), 594 (with VHH and PVG), 395 (with VHH), 623 (with VHH and Autokraft), 289 and 389 (with PVG), 186 (with PVG), 285 (with PVG), 189 (with PVG), 195 and 585 (with VHH), and 194, 294 and 794 (with VHH). This procedure ended in the late 2000s. Since 15 December 2002 HVV fares have applied fully in the Schleswig-Holstein districts neighbouring Hamburg: Pinneberg, Stormarn, Segeberg and Herzogtum Lauenburg. On 1 January 2004 a completely redesigned KViP website went online. In December 2006 the KViP control centre in the Uetersen administration building was completely rebuilt. On 5 January 2008 a new website was launched after four years. Since the end of 2010 KViP routes have used the regional four-digit route numbers from the 60xx range for bus services in the Pinneberg district. On 14 May 2012 KViP presented its first fully electric bus, a GuangDong Eurabus 600 from China. It was equipped with twelve batteries and a 130 kW electric drive. About 25,000 euros in energy costs could be saved annually. The higher purchase cost of the electric bus (380,000 euros, about 100,000 euros more than a diesel vehicle) was expected to be amortised after about three years. After some demonstrations, it entered regular scheduled service from July 2012. After another identical vehicle was purchased, both were used. Uetersener Eisenbahn AG has been a 100% subsidiary of KViP since 2014 as a property company. From 2008 to 2020, Norddeutsche Eisenbahngesellschaft Niebüll GmbH (NEG Niebüll) was the responsible railway infrastructure operator for its railway line. In August 2020 Uetersener Eisenbahn AG was renamed Uetersener Eisenbahn- und Infrastrukturgesellschaft mbH.

• 2020

  In August 2020, Uetersener Eisenbahn AG renamed Uetersener Eisenbahn- und Infrastrukturgesellschaft mbH.

• 2014

  Uetersener Eisenbahn AG became a 100% subsidiary of KViP as a property company.

• 2012

  First fully electric bus (GuangDong Eurabus 600) presented on 14 May 2012; entered regular service in July 2012.

• 2010

  Since the end of 2010, KViP routes use four-digit numbers in the 60xx range.

• 2008

  New KViP website launched on 5 January 2008.

• 2006

  KViP control centre in Uetersen completely rebuilt in December 2006.

• 2004

  Completely redesigned KViP website launched on 1 January 2004.

• 2002

  From 2002, route concessions in the Pinneberg district were awarded as joint concessions with KViP.

• 2002

  Since 15 December 2002, HVV fares apply fully in Pinneberg, Stormarn, Segeberg and Herzogtum Lauenburg.

• 2001

  New washing and care hall completed; old workshop and washing hall converted.

• 2000

  Construction of new operating facilities at the depot began in mid-2000.

• 1999

  KViP website went online on 1 July 1999.

• 1995

  From December 1995, KViP introduced red square-profile bus stop poles, a first in northern Germany.

• 1994

  On 1 January 1994, KViP took over staff, equipment and route concessions from Uetersener Eisenbahn AG.

• 1993

  KViP founded on 7 December 1993.

Regional public transport provider integrated into the Hamburg HVV network, focused on reliable bus services for the Pinneberg district.

• Bus route 60 (Anrufsammelbus)

  On-demand collective bus service, operated in the mid-1990s.

• Bus route 61

  Uetersen Buttermarkt – Ostbf. – Basshorn – Tornesch Bf.

• Bus route 64 (city ring line Uetersen)

  Ring line in Uetersen city traffic.

• Bus route 65

  Uetersen Buttermarkt – Ostbf. – Moorrege – Heist – Haselau – Haseldorf.

• Bus route 67

  Uetersen – Heidgraben – Tornesch Bf.

• Bus route 68

  Tornesch Bf. – Ahrenlohe – Ellerhoop (school days only).

• Electric bus GuangDong Eurabus 600

  First fully electric bus, presented in 2012, with twelve batteries and a 130 kW electric drive.

1. 1KViP official websitekvip.de
2. 2Servicestellen - KViPkvip.de
3. 3Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft in Pinneberg - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft in Pinneberg - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org