Vulkan-Eifel-Bahn Betriebsgesellschaft mbH

Vulkan-Eifel-Bahn Betriebsgesellschaft mbH (VEB) is a private railway undertaking headquartered in Gerolstein in the Vulkaneifel district of Germany. It was founded in 2000 as EBM-Touristik GmbH, initially to operate special and excursion passenger services, and was renamed Vulkan-Eifel-Bahn Betriebsgesellschaft mbH in March 2002 when it received its licence as a railway undertaking. The company is best known for regional rail freight, nationwide charter trains, special and heavy-haul transports, works trains and transfer runs, and for its collection of heritage rail vehicles. VEB's core business is rail freight: it moves customer cargo to requested destinations using its own traction. A second pillar is special passenger traffic with historic vehicles, including charter and excursion trains. The company also operates the locomotive shed in Gerolstein, which serves as its headquarters, fleet base and workshop. In 2024/2025 VEB expanded its site with a modern workshop hall for maintenance, repairs and inspections of its own and third-party vehicles; equipment such as a lifting system, axle drop pit and inspection pit supports work on historic carriages, including RHEINGOLD coaches of AKE-Eisenbahntouristik. Historically, VEB acted as a railway infrastructure company on the Eifelquerbahn between Gerolstein, Daun, Ulmen and Kaisersesch from July 2002 to December 2012, and it still holds the Bahnbetriebswerk Gerolstein as its own infrastructure for stabling trains. It has provided replacement services for other operators, including National Express Rail NRW on the NRW RB 48 between Bonn and Wuppertal in 2015 and the Bayerische Oberlandbahn on the Munich–Kufstein route in 2016/17. In January 2019 it put the Kaisersesch–Gerolstein section out to tender for transfer. In mid-January 2022 it moved five historic Rheingold-Express coaches and two other vehicles, previously trapped in Gerolstein by flood damage, over the temporarily reopened Eifelquerbahn to Kaisersesch. VEB remains a privately held mbH and a niche operator in the German rail market, combining freight logistics, charter and heritage services with workshop capabilities.

Vulkan-Eifel-Bahn Betriebsgesellschaft mbH (VEB) traces its origins to 2000, when EBM-Touristik GmbH was founded in Gerolstein as a private railway company. Its initial purpose was to provide special and excursion passenger services, for which it acquired railbus sets and passenger coaches. In March 2002, alongside obtaining its licence as a railway undertaking, the company was renamed Vulkan-Eifel-Bahn Betriebsgesellschaft mbH. From July 2002 to December 2012, VEB operated as a railway infrastructure company on the Eifelquerbahn between Gerolstein, Daun, Ulmen and Kaisersesch. It still retains the Bahnbetriebswerk Gerolstein as its own infrastructure for stabling trains. In 2015, VEB operated up to two replacement train sets for National Express Rail NRW on the NRW RB 48 route between Bonn and Wuppertal. In 2016/17, it provided replacement services on the Munich–Kufstein line for Bayerische Oberlandbahn. In January 2019, VEB put the Kaisersesch–Gerolstein section out to tender for transfer. In mid-January 2022, the company moved five historic Rheingold-Express coaches and two other vehicles, previously trapped in Gerolstein by flood damage, in two runs over the temporarily reopened Eifelquerbahn to Kaisersesch. Today VEB focuses on regional freight transport, nationwide charter trains, special transports, works train operations and transfer runs. Its Gerolstein locomotive shed serves as headquarters, fleet base and workshop. In 2024/2025 the site was expanded with a modern workshop hall for maintenance, repairs and inspections of its own and third-party vehicles, equipped with a lifting system, axle drop pit and inspection pit for work on historic carriages such as the RHEINGOLD coaches of AKE-Eisenbahntouristik.

• 2024

  Expanded the Gerolstein site with a modern workshop hall (2024/2025).

• 2022

  Moved five historic Rheingold-Express coaches and two other vehicles from Gerolstein to Kaisersesch over the temporarily reopened Eifelquerbahn in mid-January.

• 2019

  Put the Kaisersesch–Gerolstein section out to tender for transfer in January.

• 2016

  Provided replacement services on the Munich–Kufstein line for Bayerische Oberlandbahn (2016/17).

• 2015

  Operated up to two replacement train sets for National Express Rail NRW on RB 48 between Bonn and Wuppertal.

• 2012

  Ended infrastructure operations on the Eifelquerbahn in December.

• 2002

  Renamed Vulkan-Eifel-Bahn Betriebsgesellschaft mbH and licensed as a railway undertaking in March.

• 2002

  Began operating the Eifelquerbahn as a railway infrastructure company from July.

• 2000

  EBM-Touristik GmbH founded in Gerolstein as a private railway company for special and excursion services.

Niche private railway operator combining regional freight, charter and heritage passenger services with in-house workshop capabilities.

• Rail freight transport

  Regional freight services using own traction to move customer cargo to desired destinations.

• Charter trains

  Nationwide charter train services.

• Special transports

  Special and heavy-haul rail transports.

• Works train operations and transfer runs

  Deployment of works trains and transfer runs of all kinds.

• Heritage passenger specials

  Special passenger train journeys with historic vehicles.

• Workshop services

  Maintenance, repair and inspection of own and third-party vehicles, including historic carriages.

1. 1Startseite | VEB | Vulkan Eifel Bahnveb.de
2. 2Vulkan-Eifel-Bahn Betriebsgesellschaft – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Wikidata Q1797667wikidata.org