Fast connection

STOAG and Vestische present the XBus line 42.
The first two XBus lines in the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) will start operating on Sunday, June 12, 2022. They offer another worthwhile alternative to the car - and they show once again the good cooperation between the transport companies. STOAG and Vestische presented the joint line X42 on Thursday (June 9.6) in Bottrop-Kirchhellen.

Express buses ensure high-quality and modern fast transport. Their characteristics: fewer stops, short journey times and a better connection to the railways. This is particularly beneficial for commuters in cities without their own train station and in rural areas. Like the X42, which makes 34 stops on its route and covers almost half a million kilometers a year. It connects Dorsten and northern Bottrop, including Movie Park Germany, directly with Oberhausen and provides the train connection to Düsseldorf and Duisburg, among other things, at the important "Sterkrade Bahnhof" junction.

Line X42 generally runs between Oberhausen and Kirchhellen every half hour. The further course of the line from Kirchhellen leads alternately to Movie Park and to Dorsten every hour (Monday to Saturday).

In order to draw the attention of as many people as possible to the offer, the XBuses are designed in a striking, company-neutral design. All passengers should recognize the vehicles immediately. In the future, further lines can also be optically integrated into the new network.

The first XBus lines will initially be operated with buses from the transport company's standard fleet. After this transitional period, vehicles are to be used that are better suited to the traffic character of the XBus lines with their equipment. To this end, the three special-purpose associations VRR, Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (NWL) and Nahverkehr Rheinland GmbH (NVR) have defined uniform quality standards for the whole of NRW.

All information about the X42 line is available at www.stoag.de 

Comments on the launch of XBus line 42:

Daniel Schranz, Lord Mayor of Oberhausen: “With the X42 line, we are offering the residents of Oberhausen, but also the citizens of the neighboring towns, a new, additional mobility offer with which we are once again significantly improving the public transport connection to Sterkrade. We hope that this offer will be used actively - not only, but also for the Corpus Christi fair, which will start in a few days".

Werner Overkamp, ​​STOAG Managing Director: “Vestische and STOAG are further expanding the cross-city connections with the X42 line. The X42 line connects Kirchhellen and Dorsten excellently to the rail network in Sterkrade and thus in the direction of Düsseldorf. The travel time between Kirchhellen and Sterkrade is cut in half – that's a big time saver for commuters.”

Klaus Strehl, Mayor of the City of Bottrop: “The new X42 bus line complements the already good cross-city public transport network in Bottrop and thus increases the attractiveness of the public transport offer in Bottrop. The new line offers considerable added value, especially for the citizens of the Kirchhellen area, thanks to the fast direct connection to Oberhausen.”

Tobias Stockhoff, Mayor of Dorsten: “We in Dorsten are not only happy about the new, fast connection to Oberhausen. We also expressly welcome the fact that the XBuses are turbocharging local transport. These fast connections are just as important as the differentiated network with stops as close as possible to where people live.”

Rolf Ommen, Head of Public Transport Management at VRR: “Regional express buses are important in order to meet the constantly increasing mobility needs of people in the region and for a successful turnaround in traffic. We are therefore pleased that after years of intensive preparation and coordination between the Rhein-Ruhr transport association, the municipal authorities and the transport companies, the first XBuses are on the road in the association. For the successful implementation of such a regional XBus concept, for which the state of North Rhine-Westphalia provides financial means, sensible and uniform general conditions and framework conditions have been created in recent years. In the coming years, the VRR will invest 1,25 million euros per year in the first seven XBus lines, and the cities and districts will ensure further financing of the new offers.”

Martin Schmidt, Vestische Managing Director: “The traffic turnaround can only succeed through a broad-based turnaround in supply. The new express buses are an important building block and another strong argument to persuade people to switch to our efficient public transport. And they prove that the companies in the Rhein-Ruhr transport association think far beyond municipal borders and, like STOAG and Vestische, work together extremely well.”