Free line 299 (City Line)

Since December 10, 2023, seven new midi electric buses from Erlanger Stadtwerke have been operating a new route through the city center as line 299. They serve one of the twelve stops every seven to eight minutes. They will travel in opposite directions - either in one direction or the other.

When do the buses run?

• Monday to Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Saturdays from 9:00 to 20:00
• Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 16:00.

Where are the bus stops?

The buses in the electric fleet, which run on 100 percent green electricity, make their rounds between

• large parking lot
• Old Town
• clinics
• Customs house
• Hugenottenplatz
• Arcades.

What is the aim of the City Line?

The buses contribute to climate protection. They are also intended to relieve the city of some of its motorized traffic. In this way, the City Line 299 creates a connection from attractive and important points in the city center and at the same time to regional transport to the west and east.

Why is the ride free of charge?

Rides on the 299 are free of charge because the CityLinie operates entirely within the free city center area designated by the city of Erlangen. Information about the timetable and departure times can be found on the Erlanger Stadtwerke website.

Which buses are on the road?

The electric buses are nine meters long and offer space for around 50 passengers. There are 24 seats as well as an area for wheelchair users and passengers with baby carriages. With regard to accessibility, there are:

• Lowering of the buses
• Tactile handrails in the door area
• Stop request buttons with visual and acoustic signaling and, in some cases, vibrations.

The bus motors have a peak output of 220 kW. This should enable a range of up to 170 kilometers. They are powered by high-energy batteries with a particularly large capacity. The batteries are mainly charged at night using a plug.

The acquisition costs of the seven midi electric buses (photo: Erlanger Stadtwerke) amount to just over 3 million euros.

Seven charging points at the bus depot and two fast-charging points in the large parking lot were installed as "filling stations". They are only available to the CityLinie e-buses.

For the two 150 kW charging stations in the large parking lot and the seven 60 kW charging points in Frauenauracher Straße, a further EUR 725,000 had to be budgeted, excluding civil engineering measures. Additional costs were incurred for

• the training of employees
• the procurement of tools
• marketing measures
• integration into the current operating system.

You can find out more about the technology of the e-buses on the website of Erlanger Stadtwerke.

Why does the CityLinie exist?

At the beginning of 2019, the city of Erlangen commissioned Erlanger Stadtwerke and its public transport company to plan and operate a CityLinie service using electric vehicles. This city center line is part of the traffic concept to reduce through traffic in the city center. It is intended to

• contribute to relieving the burden of motorized traffic
• contribute to improving the climate
• increase the attractiveness of the city center.

In a transitional phase until the start of the CityLinie, the so-called KlinikLinie with conventional minibuses was introduced from the 2020/2021 timetable change.

What federal funding is available?

The purchase of the seven electric buses, including the charging infrastructure, is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection with almost 1.8 million euros. This was based on a decision by the German Bundestag.