The Rhein-Ruhr district (Ruhrgebiet) is Germany's largest industrial centre and actually the country's largest city with about 9 million inhabitants. But there is no administrative unity and no real centre either. Düsseldorf, as the capital of the Bundesland Nordrhein-Westfalen is a major centre, and Essen is Germany's sixth largest city with about 650,000 inhabitants.

The tariff union Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr, created in 1980, extends over most of western North Rhine-Westfalia, from Mönchengladbach in the west to Dortmund in the east, and from Haltern in the north to Solingen in the south, an area 5 times bigger than Berlin.

There is a basic S-Bahn system (see map above) between the different centres which is complemented by local Stadtbahn systems, a kind of rapid rail system somewhere between full metro and street trams. Basically all systems use an underground route through the city centre and then continue on the surface mainly on separate right-of-way with streets crossing at grade. Most lines have a basic interval of 10 minutes and routes are often bundled in central areas to provide a shorter headway. Trains are generally equipped with unfoldable steps to allow boarding at both low and high platforms. All Stadtbahn lines have standard European gauge (1435 mm) whereas in some cities 1000 mm gauge trams are also operated in tunnels. Stadtbahn lines generally carry the letter U, but official maps don't distinguish underground and surface stations.

The fare system for the entire Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr has 3 different prices (2007, in Euro):

A - for one city
B - including basically all neighbouring cities
C - for the whole tariff union area

*valid for 2 adults + 3 kids evenings and weekends

Not all available fares shown - all fares subject to change!

Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (Official Site - incl. map)

Bus und Bahn in NRW

Verkehrsinfo in Nordrhein-Westfalen

EFA - Timetable and Area Maps (large pdf files)

Thomas Purkert's Page includes all Rhein-Ruhr cities with maps and details

Jochen Schönfisch Rhein-Ruhr-Page

Dierk Nüchtern's Straßenbahn site

Stadtbahn Rhein-Ruhr

Düsseldorf

Rheinbahn (Official Page)

Wuppertal

Wuppertaler Stadtwerke - Schwebebahn (Official Page)

Get a BOOK on the Wuppertal Schwebebahn by Kurt Schoering

or enjoy a great Video (PAL)

Essen

EVAG (Essen Transport-official)

Bochum & Gelsenkirchen

BOGESTRA - Official Page

Small pdf. map (37K)

Stadtbahnbau (Construction)

Dortmund

Dortmunder Stadtwerke (official page)

H-Bahn