Apply for funding for regional bus routes
The Ministry of Transport supports the establishment of regional bus routes.
Funding is provided for transport services operating road-based local public transport (ÖPNV) routes using motor vehicles as defined by the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG) and the Motor Vehicles Ordinance (BO Kraft), which complement local rail passenger transport (SPNV):
- to connect medium-sized centres, sub-centres, commercial airports, tourist destinations of regional significance and national parks that do not currently have a regular connection to the local rail passenger transport network (SPNV), usually to a neighbouring medium-sized or major centre or, if closer, to another suitable access point on the SPNV network, or
- to close geographical gaps in the local passenger rail network between major centres, medium-sized centres and commercial airports.
Responsible department
The Ministry of Transport is the authority responsible for examining applications, making decisions and granting authorisations.
Ministry of Transport, Baden-Württemberg
Dorotheenstraße 8
70173 Stuttgart
Telephone: 0711 89686-9010
Fax: 0711 89686-9020
Email: bwregiobus@vm.bwl.de
Details
Prerequisite
In order to meet the funding criteria, existing and new road-based public transport routes must, as regional bus routes, fulfil the following requirements:
- a demonstrable expected deficit for the planned regional bus route
- a rapid transport link between regional centres, medium-sized centres, local centres, commercial airports and tourist destinations of regional significance
- Adequate coverage of the intermediate towns with high demand, provided that this does not significantly impair the connection function.
- Regional network effect
- A demand-oriented timetable, generally at one-hour intervals
- Operating hours in line with the state’s 2025 Regional Rail Transport Target Concept for regional rail services on all weekdays
- Uniform route and line alignment on all weekdays
- Passenger-friendly connection times to and from regional rail services, in line with an integrated regular-interval timetable
- Systematic assurance of connections
- Minimum requirements regarding the vehicles used
- Inclusion in the Baden-Württemberg fare scheme or the Deutschlandticket, in line with regional rail services
Procedure
Application and Approval
Applicants and grant recipients are
- the local authorities responsible for public transport in accordance with Section 6 of the ÖPNVG and
- local authority associations which assume the role of the responsible authorities.
Applications for funding must be submitted to the Ministry of Transport between 1 February and 31 May of the current year. Applications may be submitted up to 23 months before the planned start of operations.
If the application is approved, the Ministry of Transport will generally grant funding in the year the application is submitted.
Payment of the grant
The competent authority pays outthe grant in annual instalments upon request by the grant recipient.
Advance payments amounting to 90 per cent of the fixed annual grant amount are granted.
Final statement
At the end of the funding period, the grant recipient prepares a final statement for the subsidised route.
The final statement comprises, amongst other things, confirmation of the number of timetable kilometres travelled on the Regiobus route and evidence of the expenditure incurred for marketing activities. On this basis, the funding body issues a final decision.
Deadlines
Application deadline: 1 February to 31 May each year.
Deadline for submitting the final statement of account: 9 months after the end of the approved funding period
Required documents
The grant application must be submitted using the prescribed application form.
Further supporting documents must be attached to this form.
A detailed list of the documents that must be submitted can be found in the Technical Guidelines for the ‘Regiobuslinie’ grant scheme.
Costs
No fees are charged for processing the applications.
Processing time
Usually 4–5 months after the application deadline on 31 May of each year.
Miscellaneous
none
Detailed information
- Zukunftsnetzwerk ÖPNV - Förderprogramm "Regiobuslinien"
Legal basis
Landeshaushaltsordnung (LHO)
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Verkehrsministerium Baden-Württemberg, 30.09.2026