Verkehrsgesellschaft Kreis Unna

Verkehrsgesellschaft Kreis Unna mbH (VKU) is the municipal public transport company responsible for planning, organising and operating local bus services throughout the Kreis Unna district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Its roots go back to the Kleinbahn Unna–Kamen–Werne (U.K.W.), founded on 27 July 1907, which opened an interurban tramway between Unna, Kamen and Werne in 1909. After the tramway closed at the end of 1950, the company was renamed Verkehrsgesellschaft für den Kreis Unna m.b.H. (VKU) and converted to bus operation. Today VKU is a private limited company (mbH) owned by the Kreis Unna district holding company (50%) together with the cities of Lünen, Unna, Kamen, Bergkamen, Werne and Selm and the municipalities of Bönen and Holzwickede. It carries roughly 13 million passengers a year (2025) and operates a network of 103 lines with a total route length of about 1,902 km, using 110 of its own buses plus around 94 buses contracted from about ten private operators. The fleet is standardised on Mercedes-Benz buses, including 19 battery-electric eCitaro buses and seven electric midibuses, as part of a strategy to convert the entire fleet to alternative drives by 2037. VKU is headquartered in Lünen and maintains depots in Kamen and Lünen, with a third depot planned in Unna. It positions itself as a driver of the Verkehrswende (transport transition) in the region, emphasising sustainability, digital services such as the VKU app and electronic timetable information, and close cooperation with municipalities and regional partners.

The origins of Verkehrsgesellschaft Kreis Unna (VKU) lie in the Kleinbahn Unna–Kamen–Werne (U.K.W.), founded on 27 July 1907. The company opened an interurban tramway between Unna, Kamen and Werne in 1909, which it operated until the end of 1950. In 1950 the undertaking was renamed Verkehrsgesellschaft für den Kreis Unna m.b.H. (VKU) as it switched to bus operation. During 1957–1959 the depot at Lünener Straße in Kamen, taken over from the U.K.W., was upgraded for buses, including a garage with paint shop and parking for 24 buses. By 1959 VKU operated 18 bus lines; in 1962, with 111 employees, it ran 2.0289 million vehicle kilometres and carried 6.5184 million passengers. From 1968 to 1973 the Kamen depot was expanded and modernised after land purchase. Following the local government reform of 1975, VKU took over the bus services of Stadtwerke Lünen and its buses on 1 January 1976, including the depot at Merschstraße. On 14 April 1978 a new depot at Kupferstraße in Lünen was inaugurated. From 1980 to 2025 VKU operated under the umbrella of the Westfälische Verkehrsgesellschaft (WVG), founded in 1970, which served as a service company for VKU and other Westphalian sister operators such as RLG and RVM. In 1982 VKU had 173 employees and 81 buses on 29 lines. On 31 December 2025 VKU terminated its operating and management agreement with WVG; the shares were transferred to sister companies Regionalverkehr Ruhr-Lippe GmbH, Regionalverkehr Münsterland GmbH and Westfälische Landes-Eisenbahn GmbH. In April 2026 it became known that VKU plans to build a third depot at Hansastraße in Unna, because with the Nahverkehrsplan 2026 it also took over line services in the southern part of Kreis Unna, requiring additional vehicle accommodation. The fleet evolved from Krupp and Büssing vehicles, including Büssing trambuses, through Mercedes-Benz O 3500, O 321 H and O 302, to standardised Mercedes-Benz O 305 and articulated buses. By the late 2010s the fleet was fully standardised on Mercedes-Benz buses such as the Citaro O 530 and Citaro C2. On 4 October 2024 the first battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro G entered service, accompanied by the campaign 'Mit Spannung erwartet'; the Kamen depot was prepared with charging infrastructure and higher halls. By May 2026 VKU had 19 eCitaro buses and seven electric midibuses of type Mellor Sigma 7, aiming to convert the entire fleet to alternative drives by 2037. In 2025 VKU carried around 13 million passengers (2019: 14.85 million), with operating performance of 8.378 million vehicle kilometres, of which 8.283 million in public scheduled services. The network of 103 lines with a total length of 1,902 km was served by 110 own buses and 94 buses hired from about ten private companies. The workforce numbered 277 full-time equivalents, with 7 trainees. On 25 May 2026 the Nahverkehrsplan 2026 came into force, renewing the entire line concept with new line categories: urban (two-digit numbers), regional (three-digit numbers), express (X + number), and order-based services (three-digit starting with 3), while citizens' buses, night services and on-demand collective taxis retained their designations.

• Kleinbahn Unna–Kamen–Werne (U.K.W.) founded.

• Interurban tramway between Unna, Kamen and Werne opens.

• Tramway operation ends; company renamed Verkehrsgesellschaft für den Kreis Unna m.b.H. (VKU) and switches to buses.

• Kamen depot upgraded for bus operation with garage, paint shop and parking for 24 buses.

• VKU operates 18 bus lines.

• With 111 employees, VKU runs 2.0289 million vehicle kilometres and carries 6.5184 million passengers.

• Kamen depot expanded and modernised after land purchase.

• VKU takes over bus services of Stadtwerke Lünen and its buses.

• New depot at Kupferstraße in Lünen inaugurated.

• VKU begins operating under the umbrella of Westfälische Verkehrsgesellschaft (WVG).

• VKU has 173 employees and 81 buses on 29 lines.

• First battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro G enters service, accompanied by campaign 'Mit Spannung erwartet'.

• VKU terminates operating and management agreement with WVG; shares transferred to sister companies.

• Nahverkehrsplan 2026 comes into force, renewing the entire line concept.

• VKU announces plans for a third depot at Hansastraße in Unna.

Municipal mobility provider driving the transport transition in Kreis Unna through sustainable, innovative and digital public transport.

• Local bus services

  Urban and regional bus lines throughout Kreis Unna.

• Express bus services

  Fast, rail-oriented express connections labelled X + number.

• School transport

  Dedicated school bus services.

• TaxiBus and on-demand services

  On-demand collective taxis and TaxiBus services.

• VKU app

  Mobile app for iOS and Android with timetable information and tickets.

• Electronic timetable information

  Online timetable enquiry system.

• Deutschlandticket sales

  Sale and support of Deutschlandticket for scholars and social recipients.

• Mit Spannung erwartet
• Netzupgrade für den Kreis Unna

1. 1VKU Verkehrsgesellschaft Kreis Unna GmbH: VKUvku-online.de
2. 2Team: VKUvku-online.de
3. 3Die VKU: VKUvku-online.de
4. 4Fuhrpark: VKUvku-online.de
5. 5Verkehrsgesellschaft Kreis Unnawikidata.org
6. 6Verkehrsgesellschaft Kreis Unnade.wikipedia.org