What if a train company was born from a naming contest? That’s precisely the story of vlexx GmbH here in Mainz.
Vlexx GmbH is an important rail transport company. It is based right here in Mainz. Vlexx is a subsidiary of Regentalbahn. Regentalbahn is part of the Italian state railway Ferrovie dello Stato since 2011. This connection happened via its parent company Netinera.
But how did vlexx get its unique name?
Back in 2012, the company started as DNSW. DNSW stood for Dieselnetz Suedwest. This referred to the rail network’s cornerstones. These cities included Mainz, Koblenz and Worms. Also Kaiserslautern, Idar-Oberstein, Saarbruecken and Frankfurt am Main were included.
The name DNSW was always meant to be temporary. In January 2014, a public naming contest was held. The goal was to find a name that highlighted the company’s regional connections. The winning name was vlexx. It stands for Vier-Laender-Express. This translates to Four-Country Express.
Vlexx operates local rail passenger transport. It uses diesel railcars in Rhineland-Palatinate. Vlexx also serves Saarland and Hesse. It even provides a connection to Wissembourg in Alsace, France.
The history of vlexx has some interesting turns.
In February 2012, Regentalbahn won the tender for Dieselnetz Suedwest. The official name was Los 2. This contract started in December 2014. It is set to run for 22 and a half years. That means it ends in June 2037. The contract includes lines like Mainz to Kirchheimbolanden. Also Frankfurt to Saarbruecken and Mainz to Baumholder/Neubruecke are included. In December 2016, vlexx added another line. This route runs from Kaiserslautern to Koblenz.
Vlexx uses a fleet of diesel railcars. These are LINT 54 and LINT 81 models. The company has a total of 63 of these vehicles. Before vlexx, Regentalbahn created DNSW as a subsidiary. The services were then transferred to DNSW. Later DNSW was renamed vlexx after the naming competition. The first vlexx trains began test runs in July 2014.
The start of operations for vlexx had challenges. In November 2014, it was clear that vlexx lacked enough train drivers. DB Regio, the previous operator, was asked to run some services. When vlexx took over in December 2014, there were major cancellations. Some trains were delayed for hours. An emergency timetable was released. It only covered about 50% of the train services. The managing directors were replaced by Arnulf Schuchmann. By January 2015, about 90% of services were running again. By March 2015, all agreed connections were operating.
Vlexx also won Los 2 of the E-Netz Saar-RB tender in January 2017. This included lines like Saarbruecken to Homburg and Homburg to Illingen. Vlexx planned to use Talent 3 electric railcars for these routes.
Today vlexx continues to connect people. It provides important regional rail services. It operates in the Rhein-Main, Rhein-Nahe, and Rhein-Mosel regions. Vlexx employs around 500 people. The company also maintains its LINT fleet at its Mainz workshop.
Since 2017, vlexx offers the “vlexx and los” excursion portal. It suggests destinations in the Rhein-Main region. It shows which vlexx lines serve each location. The portal also publishes event information and timetables.
So, as you stand here, remember that vlexx is more than just a train company. It is a story of regional connection. It’s a story of overcoming challenges. It’s a story that began with a simple naming contest.