Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich

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Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ) is Zurich’s city-owned public transport operator. It runs most of the city’s trams, trolleybuses and buses, and operates two funiculars and a rack railway within the city. Some Stadtbahn Glattal light rail lines nearby are operated by VBZ as well, but those tracks are owned by Verkehrsbetriebe Glattal (VBG).

History and role
VBZ began in 1896 as Städtische Strassenbahn Zürich after the city bought a private tram system. It was renamed VBZ in 1950 and later to VBZ Zürich. In 1990 VBZ joined the Zurich Transport Network (ZVV), which coordinates tickets and fares across the region. The city has expanded its network with the Stadtbahn Glattal in the 2000s and the Zürich West extension in 2011.

Network at a glance
- Trams: VBZ operates a large tram network across Zurich, plus lines on Stadtbahn Glattal tracks.
- Buses: A substantial urban, district and regional bus network is in service.
- Trolleybuses: Six lines with about 80 trolleybuses.
- Funiculars and rack railway: Two funiculars (Polybahn and Rigiblick) and one rack railway (Dolderbahn) are within the city.
- The Forchbahn uses VBZ track work to reach central Zurich but is part of the S-Bahn network.
- The network is mostly street-based, with some sections on dedicated tram or rail tracks and a notable tram tunnel in the northeast.

Tickets and fares
All VBZ services use the ZVV tariff system. Tickets are required before boarding and can be bought from machines at most stops; at stops without machines you can buy from the driver. Passengers may board from any door, and random fare checks are used. The system allows free transfer between lines and operators as long as the ticket is valid for the journey and zones traveled.

Fleet and ridership
- Trams: About 313 trams, including 88 modern Cobra trams (2001–2010) and 201 Trams 2000, with some rebuilt to low-floor.
- Trolleybuses: 80 vehicles on six lines.
- Buses: About 113 motor buses (as of 2025), including a mix of standard, articulated and midibuses.
- Passenger volume: The tram network carries hundreds of millions of passenger trips each year; overall VBZ serves around 304 million passenger rides annually (2024).

Other services
- Cargo tram: In cooperation with the city’s ERZ department, VBZ runs a cargo tram to collect bulky waste from several points around Zurich.
- Heritage and services: VBZ offers heritage tram experiences and maintenance/engineering services from its modern workshops.
- Community: FC VBZ is a football club founded by VBZ employees, still active in local leagues.

Recent notes
During 2025–2026, construction at Bahnhofquai/Hauptbahnhof temporarily disrupted some tram lines, leading to temporary lines 50 and 51 to cover affected sections.