The VRR is tasked with coordinating public transport in its area. This means the following: • setting and developing the fare system (VRR tariff) • redistributing ticket revenue onto the transport companies • coordinating local train services (
Schienenpersonennahverkehr, SPNV) within its area as
public service obligations (PSO) • integrating the public transport system • setting standards and guidelines for passenger information and bus/tram stop facilities • coordination between transport companies, local authorities and
Land authorities • financing partial subsidies for bus and tram companies according to § 11 (2) and § 11a ÖPNVG NRW • coordinating
Land subsidies to transport companies and local authorities according to § 12 and § 13 ÖPNVG NRW
Governance The member cities and districts of the public transport association VRR are: The municipal and district councils send representatives to the two special purpose associations’ councils, which in turn elect the main decision making corporations, the administrative council of the VRR, and other committees. The administrative council elects the administrative board of the VRR, currently Oliver Wittke who also is their speaker. In addition, there are departments within the VRR dealing with different matters, such as marketing or law. Two
Land institutions are located within the VRR structure:
Kompetenzcenter Digitalisierung NRW (KCD) and
Kompetenzcenter Sicherheit (KCS). Through the
ZV VRR Eigenbetrieb Fahrzeuge und Infrastruktur (ZV VRR FaIn-EB), the VRR also buys and/or owns the
rolling stock for some, but not all, of its PSO rail operations.
Transport companies These above mentioned cities’ and districts’ and other associated transport companies thus operate under the VRR fare scheme: Additionally, there are several districts and cities outside the area of VRR which tariff applies for, but only while travelling with a transport vehicle from/to the area of VRR. Unless specified separately, this regulation counts for all lines.
Line numbering scheme With the introduction of the VRR in 1980 a new line numbering system for all bus, tram and
Stadtbahn (underground) lines in the VRR area was introduced. The VRR has been divided into ten three-digit numbering sheme regions, the first digit in the line number representing that numbering sheme Region (key number). The last two digits form the individual line number. These are the existing key numbers: •
1:
Essen and
Mülheim •
2:
Kreis Recklinghausen,
Bottrop and northern
Gelsenkirchen •
3:
Bochum, southern
Gelsenkirchen, parts of the
Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis and
Herne •
4:
Dortmund •
5:
Hagen and main part of the
Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis •
6:
Wuppertal,
Solingen and
Remscheid •
7:
Düsseldorf and
Kreis Mettmann •
8:
Düsseldorf and
Rhein-Kreis Neuss •
9:
Duisburg and
Oberhausen •
0:
Mönchengladbach,
Krefeld and
Kreis Viersen •
no key number:
Kreis Kleve and
Kreis Wesel Stadtbahn lines are identified with the prefix “U” followed by the key number and a one-digit identifiers.
Wuppertal's suspension railway line is officially line 60, but because it does not run underground, the prefix
U is not used. After the integration of the former
Verkehrsgemeinschaft Niederrhein (VGN) area consisting of
Kleve and
Wesel, route numbers were unchanged, i.e. representing no key number. • Express buses are called
Schnellbus and have the prefix SB followed by two digits. None of these digits is a key number. • Semi-fast buses are called
City-Express and have the prefix CE followed by two digits. As with the express buses none of the digits is a key number. •
On demand buses (and also Taxis) have the prefixes
ALT,
AST or
TB. • In some cities the local buses have an own numbering system, e.g. the buses in
Velbert, whose line number consists of the prefix
OV, followed by one or two digits. • In some cities the night buses are called
NachtExpress (
NE). == Fare system ==