Meininger Busbetrieb

Meininger Busbetriebs GmbH (MBB) is a regional public transport company based in Sülzfeld, a district of Meiningen in Thuringia, Germany. It operates the public bus network for the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district and is part of the Kreiswerke Schmalkalden-Meiningen, the district's municipal utility group. The company was founded in November 1991 as the successor to the passenger transport division of the former state-owned VEB Kraftverkehr Meiningen, and since 1994 its headquarters and newly built depot have been located in Sülzfeld. MBB runs an extensive network covering roughly 1,195 kilometres of routes with 568 stops, serving around 4.7 million passengers annually. Its fleet consists of about 80 company-owned and 40 subcontracted barrier-free buses, operated by approximately 100 employees. The network includes urban services in Meiningen, Schmalkalden and Zella-Mehlis, as well as numerous regional lines that extend into the city of Suhl and the neighbouring districts of Wartburgkreis and Hildburghausen. The company also operates on-demand "Rufbus" services and participates in the Deutschlandticket fare scheme. In recent years MBB has experimented with electric mobility: three Quantron electric buses entered service on Meiningen's city routes in March 2021 but were withdrawn in summer 2022 due to serious technical problems. Since 2023 the fleet has included a Mercedes-Benz Citaro G articulated bus specifically for Meiningen city services and two Ikarus 120e electric buses with 80 seats each. MBB remains the contracted transport operator for the district and continues to modernise its fleet and services.

Meininger Busbetriebs GmbH was founded in November 1991 as the successor to the passenger transport division of VEB Kraftverkehr Meiningen, the state-owned transport combine of the former German Democratic Republic. At its founding the company was based at Heinrich-Heine-Straße in Meiningen. In 1994 the company moved its headquarters and a newly constructed depot to Sülzfeld, a district of Meiningen, where it remains today. As a municipal transport company, MBB is part of the Kreiswerke Schmalkalden-Meiningen, the utility group owned by the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district. It operates the public bus network under contract to the district, covering urban services in Meiningen, Schmalkalden and Zella-Mehlis as well as a dense web of regional routes. Some of these regional lines extend beyond the district into the independent city of Suhl and into the Wartburgkreis and Hildburghausen districts. By 2023 the company operated around 80 of its own buses in various sizes plus 40 vehicles from subcontractors, employing roughly 100 staff. Its network spanned approximately 1,195 kilometres with 568 stops, carrying over 4.7 million passengers and covering about 4.5 million scheduled kilometres per year. MBB has also tested alternative drive technologies. In March 2021 three Quantron electric buses entered service on Meiningen's six city routes, but they were removed from the fleet in summer 2022 after serious technical problems. Since 2023 the fleet has included a Mercedes-Benz Citaro G articulated bus dedicated to Meiningen city services and two Ikarus 120e electric buses, each with 80 seats. The company continues to provide urban and regional bus services, including on-demand Rufbus operations and participation in the Deutschlandticket scheme.

• 2023

  Fleet includes a Mercedes-Benz Citaro G articulated bus for Meiningen city services and two Ikarus 120e electric buses with 80 seats each.

• 2022

  All three Quantron electric buses withdrawn from the fleet in summer due to serious technical problems.

• 2021

  Three Quantron electric buses entered service on Meiningen city routes in March.

• 1994

  Headquarters and newly built depot moved to Sülzfeld, a district of Meiningen.

• 1991

  Founded in November as successor to the passenger transport division of VEB Kraftverkehr Meiningen.

Municipal public transport operator for the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district, providing barrier-free bus services under the Deutschlandticket fare system.

• Meiningen city bus network

  Eight urban bus lines with around 100 stops and over 350 daily trips.

• Schmalkalden city bus network

  Six urban bus lines (40–45) serving Schmalkalden and surrounding villages.

• Zella-Mehlis city bus network

  Three urban bus lines (31–33) connecting Zella-Mehlis and Mehlis.

• Regional bus lines

  Lines 400–449 connecting Meiningen, Schmalkalden, Suhl and surrounding areas.

• Rufbus on-demand services

  On-demand bus services for selected trips and stops.

1. 1MBB Meininger Busbetriebs GmbH | Für Sie unterwegs!mbb-mgn.de
2. 2Meininger Busbetrieb - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Meininger Busbetrieb - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org