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Mannheim (308,000 inh., on the right bank of the Rhine in the State of Baden-Württemberg) and Ludwigshafen (on the left bank in the State of Rheinland-Pfalz) form a metropolitan area with approximately 500,000 inhabitants. Both cities, together with Heidelberg, are part of the Rhein-Neckar fare system.

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. In 1971, a single underground station called Dalbergstraße was opened in Mannheim. In the late 1960's and 1970's, a large Stadtbahn network was planned for both cities with tunnels in central areas and mostly segregated at-grade running in outer areas. For details see Ludwigshafen page.

Tramway
- network length approx. 69 km (0.5 km underground) + 12 km OEG (line 5) within Mannheim city boundaries
- 7 lines (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 15 > lines 4, 6 and 7 operated jointly with Ludwigshafen's VBL);
- line 5 (OEG) shares urban tram routes within Mannheim and Heidelberg; since 12/2008, the RHB line (Rhein-Haardtbahn to Bad Dürkheim) has been fully integrated into the line 4 timetable;
- express line 9 Bad Dürkheim - Mannheim
- peak-hour line 8 (only a few journeys!)
- 1000 mm gauge
- rolling stock: DUEWAG MGT6 (1994); Bombardier Variotram (2003-2007); Skoda ForCity Smart (2023-)

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.

2005: Neuostheim - SAP Arena - Rangierbahnhof (now ARENA/Maimarkt)
2006: Uniklinikum - Alte Feuerwache
2006: Planetarium - Fahrlach - SAP Arena
12 June 2016: Lange Rötterstr. - Waldfriedhof / Käfertaler Wald (6.4 km)
17 Dec 2023: Bensheimer Str. – Sullivan (1.6 km)

VRN (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar) (Fares & timetables)

RNV Nahverkehr Rhein-Neckar (Tram operator)

Tram Projects

Bahnfreunde Rhein-Neckar-Pfalz

Nahverkehr in Mannheim at Wikipedia.de