Erixx

Erixx is the brand of Erixx GmbH, a private German railway company that operates regional passenger train services in northern Germany. The company is wholly owned by Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen AG (OHE) and primarily works under operating contracts awarded by public transport authorities rather than selling a nationwide intercity rail product. Its principal service area includes Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and, through selected regional connections, Bremen and the surrounding northern German transport network. The Erixx brand was introduced in connection with the start of operations in December 2011. Its original network consisted of the RB37 and RB38 regional services, which together were marketed as the Heidekreuz. These routes used the Heath Railway and the Uelzen–Langwedel railway, linking communities across and around the Lüneburg Heath. The brand name combines a reference to Erica, a genus of heath plants associated with the region, with an “x” intended to evoke the crossing or intersecting structure of the Heidekreuz network. Erixx operates on behalf of public-sector transport authorities, including the Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (LNVG), which commissions and organizes regional rail services in Lower Saxony. Its role is therefore that of a contracted rail operator: public authorities determine service requirements and award concessions, while Erixx supplies train operations, staffing, fleet deployment and passenger service within those contracts. This model places the company in the competitive regional rail market, where operators bid for time-limited concessions and may take over routes from incumbent providers. The company expanded beyond its initial Heidekreuz network in December 2014. From that point, Erixx operated the RE10, RB32, RB42, RB43 and RB47 services in Lower Saxony under a contract scheduled to run through December 2029. The expansion was accompanied by the use of new LINT-54 diesel multiple units, supplementing the shorter LINT-41 trains used on the original routes. Erixx subsequently broadened its regional presence into Schleswig-Holstein, beginning operation of the RB76, RE83 and RB84 services in December 2022 under contracts scheduled to continue through December 2035. The original Heidekreuz services were not permanent components of the Erixx network. Erixx operated RB37 and RB38 from December 2011 through December 2021, after which the company’s network composition changed as the relevant operating arrangements ended. Its later portfolio has consequently centered on the Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein services awarded through subsequent tendering processes. Erixx’s offering is focused on scheduled regional passenger transport rather than freight, express logistics or long-distance travel. Its fleet has principally consisted of diesel multiple units suited to non-electrified regional lines. The company’s brand positioning emphasizes accessible local and regional mobility, connections among smaller communities, and service across rural and semi-rural areas of northern Germany. As a subsidiary of OHE, Erixx is part of a railway group with historical roots in the regional rail infrastructure and transport sector, while operating as a distinct passenger-service brand.

Erixx emerged as a regional passenger railway brand in northern Germany in 2011. The company operates as Erixx GmbH and is wholly owned by Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen AG, commonly abbreviated as OHE. Rather than functioning as an independent nationwide railway with a broad commercial product portfolio, Erixx operates routes under concessions and service contracts issued by public transport authorities. The brand began service on 11 December 2011, when it took responsibility for the RB37 and RB38 routes in Lower Saxony. These lines formed the Heidekreuz, a network centered on the Lüneburg Heath and using the Heath Railway and the Uelzen–Langwedel railway. The name Erixx was created around the regional identity of the heath landscape: “Erica” refers to a genus of heath plants, while the “x” represents the crossing of the Heidekreuz routes. The original fleet for these services comprised 27 LINT-41 diesel multiple units. Erixx’s initial operating arrangement lasted through December 2021. During that period, the company established itself as a recognizable operator of regional services in Lower Saxony, serving routes that connect smaller towns and rural communities as well as larger regional centers. Its business model depended on public transport commissioning, with the Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen playing a central role in organizing the Lower Saxony services. A significant expansion took place in December 2014. Erixx began operating the RE10, RB32, RB42, RB43 and RB47 services in Lower Saxony. These routes expanded the company’s service portfolio beyond the original Heidekreuz network and required additional rolling stock. Erixx introduced 28 new LINT-54 diesel multiple units for the new routes. The LINT vehicles are diesel-powered multiple-unit trains designed for regional passenger operations, making them suitable for lines that were not fully electrified. The company’s network changed again after the Heidekreuz operating period ended. RB37 and RB38 remained part of Erixx’s historical identity, but Erixx no longer operated those services after December 2021. The company continued to operate its other Lower Saxony routes under a contract scheduled to run until December 2029. In December 2022, Erixx entered or expanded into Schleswig-Holstein by taking responsibility for RB76, RE83 and RB84. The operating arrangements for these services were scheduled to extend through December 2035. This gave Erixx a broader northern German footprint, connecting its Lower Saxony activities with a second state-level regional rail market. Erixx’s history is therefore defined less by corporate acquisitions or consumer product launches than by successive public-service concessions, route transfers and fleet deployments. Its primary capabilities are train operations, timetable delivery, passenger service and the management of regional diesel multiple-unit fleets. The company remains a private regional operator within the OHE group, with activity concentrated in contracted passenger rail rather than freight transport, logistics or long-distance railway services.

• 2022

  Expansion into Schleswig-Holstein

  [1]Erixxen.wikipedia.org

  From December 2022, Erixx began operating RB76, RE83 and RB84 services in Schleswig-Holstein under long-term regional rail operating arrangements.

• 2021

  End of RB37 and RB38 operations

  [1]Erixxen.wikipedia.org

  Erixx’s operation of the RB37 and RB38 Heidekreuz services ended in December 2021 after roughly a decade of service.

• 2014

  Expansion to five additional Lower Saxony services

  [1]Erixxen.wikipedia.org

  From December 2014, Erixx began operating RE10, RB32, RB42, RB43 and RB47 in Lower Saxony, substantially expanding its contracted service portfolio.

• 2014

  Introduction of LINT-54 rolling stock

  [1]Erixxen.wikipedia.org

  The expansion into additional routes was supported by 28 new LINT-54 diesel multiple units, complementing the LINT-41 fleet used on the original services.

• 2011

  Erixx begins regional rail operations

  [1]Erixxen.wikipedia.org

  On 11 December 2011, Erixx began operating the RB37 and RB38 services in Lower Saxony. Together, the routes formed the Heidekreuz network across the Lüneburg Heath region.

• 2011

  Launch of the Heidekreuz operating network

  [1]Erixxen.wikipedia.org

  The company’s initial operations used the Heath Railway and the Uelzen–Langwedel railway, establishing Erixx as a regional passenger operator on routes serving northern Lower Saxony.

A contracted regional railway operator focused on reliable passenger mobility across northern Germany, particularly Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, using diesel multiple-unit trains on regional routes.

• Passenger transportation · 2011

  Regional passenger rail services

  Erixx provides scheduled regional passenger rail services under contracts with public transport authorities. Its services connect towns, cities and rural communities in northern Germany, with operations concentrated in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. The company’s role includes train operation, onboard service, staffing and delivery of the contracted timetable rather than long-distance or nationwide intercity transport.

• Diesel multiple-unit trains · 2011

  LINT-41 fleet

  Erixx operated a fleet of 27 LINT-41 diesel multiple units on the original RB37 and RB38 Heidekreuz services. These trains were deployed on regional lines in Lower Saxony, including routes using the Heath Railway and the Uelzen–Langwedel railway.

• Diesel multiple-unit trains · 2014

  LINT-54 fleet

  From December 2014, Erixx used 28 new LINT-54 diesel multiple units for its expanded Lower Saxony route portfolio. The trains supported operations on RE10, RB32, RB42, RB43 and RB47, services that formed the company’s principal expanded network after its initial launch.

• 2022

  Entry into Schleswig-Holstein regional servicesStrategy

  Background

  Following changes to its original Lower Saxony network, Erixx broadened its geographic reach through additional contracted passenger services.

  Action taken

  From December 2022, Erixx began operating RB76, RE83 and RB84 in Schleswig-Holstein.

  Aftermath

  The move extended Erixx’s operating footprint beyond Lower Saxony and secured scheduled activity under arrangements running through December 2035.

  Source

• 2014

  Expansion of the Lower Saxony route portfolioStrategy

  Background

  Erixx expanded beyond its original Heidekreuz services through a new operating arrangement covering several regional and regional-express routes.

  Action taken

  From December 2014, Erixx took responsibility for RE10, RB32, RB42, RB43 and RB47 and added 28 LINT-54 diesel multiple units.

  Aftermath

  The decision significantly broadened Erixx’s presence in Lower Saxony and became the basis of its continuing regional network after the original RB37 and RB38 contract ended.

  Source

• 2011

  Launch as a contracted regional railway operatorStrategy

  Background

  Erixx entered the market through a public-service operating arrangement in Lower Saxony rather than through a conventional consumer retail launch.

  Action taken

  The company began operating RB37 and RB38 on behalf of the Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen, creating the Heidekreuz network.

  Aftermath

  The launch established Erixx as a regional passenger operator and provided the platform for later route expansion.

  Source

1. 1Erixxen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Erixx official websiteerixx.de