Public transit in the German city of Köln (Cologne in English) is the responsibility of Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe AG, which is responsible for operating the light rail and bus system and the subway (U-Bahn). Collectively the public transit network is known as the Cologne Stadtbahn.
When we were in Cologne in early December 2021, we used the trams and subway. I don’t believe we used a bus.
Trams in Köln
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The tram network in Köln was largely destroyed during WW2, as was much of the city. After the war, much of the network was not restored. Over time a new light rail network was built which serves Cologne and the neighbouring city of Bonn – the former capital of West Germany.
The network is not exactly symmetrical – see maps here – but consists of a couple of concentric arcs along with some lines radiating out from the centre.
Note the KVB (for Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe) beside the door of the vehicle above.
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Our hotel – the Motel One Cologne-Neumarkt – was next to the important Neumarkt transit hub. I went out one night to photograph some light rail vehicles by the Christmas market there.
Cologne runs Bombardier Flexity light rail vehicles. According to this 2020 article, they ordered 6 additional FLEXITY LRVs to add to the existing 287 LRVs in the area. Most are Flexity Swift LRVs manufactured between 1995 and 2007.
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I played a bit with panning.
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The Köln Subway
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The “subway” in Cologne is really more like an underground tram network. It’s called the U-Bahn.
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