Moselbahn GmbH

Moselbahn GmbH, formally Moselbahn Verkehrsbetriebsgesellschaft mbH, is a regional public transport company based in Bernkastel-Andel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is part of the French Transdev group, one of Europe's largest public transport operators. The company traces its origins to the Moselbahn-Aktiengesellschaft, founded on 12 April 1899 and entered in the Cologne commercial register on 9 August 1899. Its initial purpose was to build and operate a standard-gauge local railway along the right bank of the Moselle river between Trier and Bullay, a 102.17 km route completed in five sections between 1903 and 1905. The railway, also known as the Moseltalbahn, served the Moselle valley until passenger services were gradually withdrawn between 1961 and 1968. A bus operation, started in 1937, became the company's main activity after the railway closed. In 1964 the AG was converted into a GmbH, and the bus business continued under the Moselbahn name. Ownership changed over the decades: the state of Rhineland-Palatinate held nearly all shares from 1962, and in 2002 the company was taken over by Rhenus-Keolis, then passed to Rhenus Veniro in 2007 after a split. Since 2019 Moselbahn has been part of the Transdev group. Today it operates bus lines under contract to the Verkehrsverbund Region Trier (VRT), covering 592 kilometres of routes and about 2.67 million vehicle kilometres annually with a fleet of 58 buses (as of 2020). The company also offers panoramic bus tours and maintains a corporate compliance programme aligned with Transdev's international operations.

The Moselbahn-Aktiengesellschaft was founded on 12 April 1899 and entered in the Cologne commercial register on 9 August 1899 under No. 4631. Founders included several banks and the Westdeutsche Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft in Cologne. The company's purpose was to build a standard-gauge local railway along the right bank of the Moselle from Trier to Bullay. Construction took almost exactly six years from registration to completion of the final section. The line was opened in five stages: Trier–Leiwen on 2 April 1903; Leiwen–Niederemmel on 28 May 1903; Niederemmel–Andel on 29 December 1903; Andel–Bernkastel on 15 March 1904; and Bernkastel–Bullay on 19 August 1905. The total route length was 102.17 km, with a maximum speed of 40 km/h and a journey time of 3 hours 45 minutes, including 38 or 39 stops (Graach-Wehlen served only freight). Initial share capital was six million Marks, increased to seven million and then to ten million Marks in 1905. Total construction cost was about 20 million Marks, of which 14.5 million was construction and over 5 million land acquisition. The company moved its registered office to Trier on 1 April 1905 in view of the railway's growing importance and the imminent opening of the full line. The railway, also called the Moseltalbahn, operated through World War I and the 1920s. In the 1920s the AG für Verkehrswesen acquired a majority of shares, reaching almost 95% by 1940. In 1962 these shares were sold to the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Despite the state becoming an almost hundred-percent shareholder, the railway was gradually closed: passenger service between Bullay and Traben-Trarbach ended on 30 September 1961; the section to Niederemmel-Piesport followed on 31 December 1962, with freight also ceasing from Bullay; all traffic between Niederemmel-Piesport and Neumagen-Dhron ended on 22 May 1966; and from 1 February 1968 traffic ceased on the remaining line to Trier, with only freight between Ruwer West and Trier maintained for some years. A bus operation had existed since 1937. At the end of 1964 the state converted Moselbahn AG into a GmbH, which continued bus services along the Moselle. This bus business was later transferred to Moselbahn Verkehrsbetriebsgesellschaft mbH. In 2002 the company was taken over by Rhenus-Keolis, and in 2007, after a split, it went to Rhenus Veniro. On 1 July 2012, due to lack of profitability, Moselbahn discontinued its services in the Saargau, closed the Saarburg depot, and moved its headquarters to Bernkastel-Andel; part of the fleet was sold and staff were taken over by a successor. Since 2019 Moselbahn has been part of the Transdev group, a French public transport services company, following the merger of former Rhenus-Veniro companies with Transdev to strengthen their competitive position and international development. As of 2020, the company operates 592 kilometres of bus lines, covering 2.67 million vehicle kilometres annually with 58 buses on behalf of the Verkehrsverbund Region Trier (VRT).

• 2019

  Moselbahn becomes part of the Transdev group.

• 2012

  On 1 July services in Saargau discontinued, Saarburg depot closed, headquarters moved to Bernkastel-Andel.

• 2007

  After split, company goes to Rhenus Veniro.

• 2002

  Company taken over by Rhenus-Keolis.

• 1968

  Traffic ceases on remaining line to Trier from 1 February; only freight between Ruwer West and Trier continues for some years.

• 1966

  All traffic between Niederemmel-Piesport and Neumagen-Dhron ends on 22 May.

• 1964

  Moselbahn AG converted into a GmbH at the end of the year; bus services continue.

• 1962

  State of Rhineland-Palatinate acquires nearly all shares; passenger service to Niederemmel-Piesport ends on 31 December.

• 1961

  Passenger service between Bullay and Traben-Trarbach discontinued on 30 September.

• 1937

  Bus operation established.

• 1905

  Final section Bernkastel–Bullay opened on 19 August, completing the 102.17 km line; registered office moved to Trier on 1 April.

• 1904

  Section Andel–Bernkastel opened on 15 March.

• 1903

  First sections of the Trier–Bullay railway opened: Trier–Leiwen (2 April), Leiwen–Niederemmel (28 May), Niederemmel–Andel (29 December).

• 1899

  Moselbahn-Aktiengesellschaft founded on 12 April and entered in Cologne commercial register on 9 August.

Regional public transport provider integrated into the Transdev group, focused on bus services in the Moselle region.

• Regional bus services

  Bus lines in Rhineland-Palatinate under contract to Verkehrsverbund Region Trier (VRT).

• Panoramabahn

  Panoramic bus tours offered by Moselbahn.

1. 1Moselbahn official websitemoselbahn.de
2. 2Corporate Compliance - Moselbahnmoselbahn.de
3. 3Die Moselbahn und ihre Geschichte - Moselbahnmoselbahn.de
4. 4Über uns - Moselbahnmoselbahn.de
5. 5Moselbahn GmbH - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Moselbahn GmbH - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org