The Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahnen AG (English: Bochum-Gelsenkirchen Tramways Corporation), abbreviated BOGESTRA, is a public transport operator in the Ruhr area, most notably in the cities of Bochum, Gelsenkirchen and Herne. As of 2012^[update], the company operated, in whole or in part, 9 rail lines^[1] (2 Stadtbahn, and 7 tram), and 65 bus lines.^[1] In 2012, BOGESTRA transported a total of 144.9 million passengers.^[1] The company is a member of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) public transport association.

This article needs to be updated. (December 2020)

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Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahnen AG

Founded	13 January 1896 (1896-01-13)
Headquarters	Universitätsstraße 58 44789 Bochum
Locale	Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Service area	Bochum, Gelsenkirchen, Herne and Witten
Alliance	Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR)
Routes	Multi-Modal regional transit network consisting of: 2 Stadtbahn lines 7 Tram lines 65 Bus lines[1]
Stops	1,285 (total)[1]
Fleet	381 vehicles total: 128 Light rail vehicles[1] 253 Buses[1]
Annual ridership	144.9 million (2012)[1]
Website	BOGESTRA AG

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BOGESTRA was founded by the cities of Bochum and Gelsenkirchen and Siemens & Halske AG in Berlin on 13 January 1896. At the time of the founding of the company, the transit network consisted of three lines built by Siemens & Halske in 1894 and 1895. Thus, BOGESTRA already had, at the time of its founding, approximately 15.1 kilometres (9.4 mi) of streetcar network. The construction and operation of these lines remained with the Siemens & Halske AG, while BOGESTRA itself initially took only functional control. In the next 10 years the network grew rapidly.

Much of the streetcar network was damaged or destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II. On 24 May 1945, the deployment of transit personnel and the operation of approximately 55 kilometres (34 mi) of the rail network were resumed. In the period following the war, additional routes and lines were repaired and reopened. By the end of 1950, a total of 27 lines were back in operation, and the reconstruction of the rail system could be considered complete.

In contrast to the meter-gauge streetcar lines that BOGESTRA had operated since the 1890s, the 1970s and 1980s saw the planning for Stadtbahn lines throughout the Rhine-Ruhr region, including in the BOGESTRA operating area. BOGESTRA's new Stadbahn line would be operated on standard gauge rail with high platform stations in its own right-of-way using Stadtbahn B train cars. The first Stadtbahn section was opened on 2 September 1989 between Bochum Central Station and Castle Herne Strünkede as Line U35. This was also the first inter-city subway tunnel in Germany, because the city boundary between Bochum and Herne is crossed underground on Line U35. According to BOGESTRA, the underground section connecting these cities is still unique in Germany. An extension of Line U35 south from the Bochum Central Station to the Ruhr-University Bochum and on to Hustadt took place on 28 November 1993.

• Rhein-Ruhr Stadtbahn
• Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR)
• Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn
• List of rapid transit systems