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Together with Mannheim (on the right bank of the Rhine in the state of Baden-Württemberg), Ludwigshafen (on the left bank in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, 164,000 inh.) forms a metropolitan area with approximately 500,000 inhabitants. Both cities, together with Heidelberg, are part of the Rhein-Neckar fare system.

Tramway
- network length approx. 24 km
- 4 lines (4, 6, 7, 10 > lines 4, 6 and 7 operated jointly with Mannheim's MVV;
- since 12/2008, (RHB Rhein-Haardtbahn) from Mannheim to Bad Dürkheim fully integrated with line 4;
- 1000 mm gauge
- rolling stock: DUEWAG MGT 6 (1994-95); Bombardier Variotram (2003)

Since Dec. 2003, the Rhein-Neckar area has been served by the so-called S-Bahn Rhein-Neckar, which runs on mainline DB tracks, with a train every 15 minutes between Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg via Mannheim.

Like in many other German cities with a similar population (Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Dortmund, Essen, Hannover, etc.), a large Stadtbahn network (see map) was planned in the late 1960's, which would include tunnels in central areas and mostly segregated street-level running in outer areas. At that time 5 trunk routes were designed:

Line A: (Bad Dürkheim) - LU-Oggersheim - LU-Hauptbahnhof - LU-Rathaus - Kurt-Schumacher-Brücke (northern bridge) - MA-Paradeplatz - MA-Neuostheim - Seckenheim - (Heidelberg)

Line B: MA-Schönau - MA-Kurpfalzkreisel - MA-Paradeplatz - MA-Hauptbahnhof - MA-Lindenhof - MA-Neckerau - MA-Rheinau

Line C: (Neuhofen) - LU-Rheingönheim - LU-Hauptbahnhof - LU-Rathaus - LU-Oppau/Pfingstweide

Line D: (Heddesheim) - MA-Wallstadt - MA-Feudenheim - MA-Wasserturm - MA-Paradeplatz - Kurt-Schumacher-Brücke - LU-Rathaus - LU-Berliner Platz - LU-Mundenheim - Maudach - (Mutterstadt)

Line E: LU-Pfingstweide - LU-Oppau-West - LU-Rathaus - LU-Berliner Platz - Rhine tunnel - MA-Hauptbahnhof - MA-Wasserturm - MA-Käfertal - (Weinheim)

In Ludwigshafen, the first underground station was built in the mid-1960's, when a new central station was built west of the city centre. At approximately the same time an underground station called Dalbergstraße was built in Mannheim.

The network, which ultimately should have been totally independent from other traffic, should have been opened as a premetro system, using standard tram units. Eventually platforms should have been 80-90 cm high and 80 m long, for exclusive use of Stadtbahn vehicles. Tunnel section would allow the use of 2.65m wide carriages in the future. The envisaged date for completion was the year 2000.

Construction of the first sections began in the early 1970's along Ludwigshafen's north-south line (Line C) from Hemshofstraße to LU-Hauptbahnhof via LU-Rathaus (formerly referred to as Hauptpost). The project was carried out together with a network of elevated roads. The second phase (scheduled for 1976-79) would have included a north south tunnel in Ludwigshafen from LU-Rathaus to Berliner Platz, but construction had already been suspended.

The existing stretch along Line C in Ludwigshafen has turned out to be totally useless, as it actually bypasses the city centre. The intermediate station Danziger Platz is a long walk from any place of interest, and from 2001, the only remaining tram service (Line 12) operated along this route only during peak hours, the station being closed the rest of the time. On 12 Dec 2008, operation along this corridor ceased completely, with the section Hemshofstraße - Rathaus - Danziger Platz - Hauptbahnhof - Ostausgang being permanently closed.

Also the first (and only) underground station in Mannheim, Dalbergstraße, lies far from the city centre. This route, now served by tram route 2, was not even included in the above described 5-line network; it is rather a by-product of the ambitious 1970s road schemes.

At present, there are no projects to relaunch the former plans, instead the network was modernised for normal street tram service and new vehicles were acquired. In Mannheim all lines loop through the city centre in one direction or another, serving all places of interest but making the network quite confusing for the outsider. All lines serve the central Paradeplatz. Both cities are well linked by lines 3 and 4 (plus RHB) via the southern bridge and line 6 via the northern bridge. In Ludwigshafen, all lines now meet at Berliner Platz, which is only a few minutes walk from the S-Bahn station LU-Mitte.

1969: LU-Hauptbahnhof - Ostausgang

1971: MA-Dalbergstraße

1976: LU-Hauptbahnhof - LU-Rathaus - Hemshofstraße

12-12-2008: Hemshofstraße - Rathaus - Danziger Platz - Hauptbahnhof - Ostausgang - Südwest-Stadion (2.6 km) abandoned

VRN (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar)

RNV Nahverkehr Rhein-Neckar

VBL (Verkehrsbetriebe Ludwigshafen)

RHB (Rhein-Haardtbahn)

Bahnfreunde Rhein-Neckar-Pfalz

Ludwigshafen - Mannheim Stadtbahn Gallery

Nahverkehr in Ludwigshafen at Wikipedia.de