Record journeys and investment: UITP Summit 2025 host city Hamburg shows the future of mobility

A whopping 468 million passengers boarded services on Hamburg’s HOCHBAHN in 2023. That’s over a million journeys more than in 2019 – meaning that Germany’s second-largest public transport operator has made a full ridership recovery. At the same time, HOCHBAHN boasts a record €1 billion in investment and has ambitious plans to improve services.

In short, Hamburg’s success makes it the ideal host to showcase the way forward for sustainable mobility at the UITP Summits Hamburg 2025 and 2027.

HOCHBAHN runs the buses and metros of Hamburg, an urban area of 3.8 million people. And their story will be familiar to many public transport organisations across the world. Like many operators, they have seen a sharp rise in demand since the lows of the pandemic. In fact, 2023 saw a 21% rise in passenger numbers compared with 2022.

On the other hand, personnel, construction, and energy costs have soared. How public transport operators navigate these challenges will define the quality of their services – and HOCHBAHN provides a great example.

For one, HOCHBAHN has raised €950 million by issuing green bonds to investors. That and other investments means 2024 will see around €1 billion put into a variety of projects:

• Metro network expansion. €400 million in the extension of U4 and construction of new, fully automated U5.
• New metro vehicles. €100 million will go towards around 370 new and better vehicles.
• Improved bus depots. €96 million in 2024 will go towards the construction of new bus depots and the electrification of existing depots.
• Zero emission bus fleet. €75 million will help make around a third of the bus fleet zero emissions by the year’s end (and ultimately 100% by 2032).
• More efficient operations. As a result of €37 million, the U2 and U4 will see efficiency upgrades from digitalisation efforts.
• Autonomous vehicles. €26 million will help the region push mobility forward by running an automated on-demand service.
• Real-time passenger information. The development of a new system to let passengers track buses will make travelling easier.

Many cities have yet to make a full ridership recovery. Funding also remains a serious challenge. But HOCHBAHN’s example shows that there are ways to overcome issues while improving services and getting more passengers on public transport. The future of mobility is more, better, and cleaner public transport – Hamburg shows us how to get there.

Hamburg will be home to the UITP Summit on 15-18 June 2025, as well as in 2027. At the world’s most important public transport event, sector experts and professionals can learn, network, and prepare for the future. As a model for the future of mobility, Hamburg’s congress sessions and technical visits promise to deliver insights on today’s most important topics.

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