The contract, which was tendered in 2019, combines two previous contracts with the aim of improving reliability and punctuality. LNVG is working in cooperation with regional governments in Hanover, Hamburg and Bremen, plus transport authority Westphalia-Lippe Local Transport (NWL) in neighbouring North Rhine Westphalia

The new contract comprises:

  • the previous Heidekreuz network operated by the Netinera-majority owned company Erixx on routes RB37 Bremen Main Station - Soltau - Uelzen and RB38 Hanover Main Station - Soltau – Buchholz, and
  • the former Transdev-owned North West Rail (NWB)-operated Weser/Lammetal network of RB77 Hildesheim - Bünde (via Hameln and Löhne) and RB79 Hildesheim - Bodenburg.

The contract which is for a minimum of 4.38 million train-km annually runs for eight years from December 2021. DB will operate and maintain the existing Lint DMUs provided by LNVG. The tender required that staff currently employed on the contracts will be offered the opportunity to transfer to the new operator.

Erixx, owned by East Hanover Railways, which is majority owned by Netinera, the German subsidiary of Trenitalia, was established for the Heidekreuz contract which began in 2011.

Erixx has since won further contracts in Lower Saxony which run until 2029. NWB held the Weser/Lammetal contract since 2011 and retains multiple other contracts in northern Germany.