Cooperation space
Nine regions in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia into which the state is divided in terms of transport technology are designated as cooperation areas.
In each cooperation area, the cities and districts are responsible for the organization of local public transport (ÖPNV). This applies to the route networks, tariff systems and timetables of all modes of transport in inner-city and regional transport (buses, light rail , S-Bahn and regional trains). Furthermore, the cities and districts have come together to form a special purpose association for rail services in each individual cooperation area.
The cooperation rooms
are:
- Cooperation area 1 (Rhine-Ruhr) Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) → Zweckverband VRR
- Cooperation area 2 (Rhein-Sieg) Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (VRS) → Zweckverband VRS
- Cooperation area 3 (Aachen) Aachener Verkehrsverbund (AVV) → Zweckverband AVV
- Cooperation area 4 (Ruhr-Lippe) Verkehrsgemeinschaft Ruhr-Lippe (VRL) → Zweckverband SPNV Ruhr-Lippe (ZRL)
- Cooperation area 5 (Münsterland) Verkehrsgemeinschaft Münsterland (VGM) → Zweckverband SPNV Münsterland (ZVM)
- Cooperation area 6 (Ostwestfalen-Lippe) OWL Verkehr GmbH (OWLV) "Der Sechser" → Zweckverband SPNV Verkehrsverbund OstWestfalenLippe (VVOWL)
- Cooperation area 7 (Paderborn / Höxter) Local transport association Paderborn-Höxter (nph) → Association tariff “Hochstift tariff” → Zweckverband NPH
- Cooperation area 8 (Westphalia-South) Verkehrsgemeinschaft Westfalen-Süd (VGWS) → Special Purpose Association for Local Passenger Transport Westphalia South (ZWS)
- Cooperation area 9 (Niederrhein), since January 2008 / January 2012 part of the Zweckverband VRR or the VRR (formerly Nahverkehrs-Zweckverband Niederrhein NVN / Verkehrsgemeinschaft Niederrhein )
New regulation
Due to the efforts of the state to limit the number of cooperation areas and transport associations, two new umbrella associations were formed in 2008:
- Zweckverband Nahverkehr Rheinland (NVR) as the umbrella association of the two Rhenish special purpose associations AVV (No. 3) and VRS (No. 2).
- Zweckverband Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (NWL) as the umbrella organization of the five Westphalian special-purpose associations ZRL, ZVM, VVOWL, NPH and ZWS (cooperation areas 4–8).
Together with the VRR association, there are now three traffic areas. It is also planned to merge the transport / tariff associations in these areas. A Westphalia transport association is planned for cooperation areas 4 to 8.