evb wins 10-year contract for German RB33 regional rail line

Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH (evb) has secured a 10-year contract to operate the RB33 regional rail line, connecting Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde, and Buxtehude. The contract was awarded following a European tender process by the Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (LNVG) and the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen.

The agreement is set to run from December 2027 until December 2037. It also includes an option for evb to operate the RB34 line between Bremervörde and Stade, should that service be reactivated starting in late 2028.

As part of its operations, evb will continue to utilize hydrogen-powered Alstom Coradia iLint trains, which have been in service on this route since 2022. The RB33 line serves approximately 2 million passengers annually.