GVB is the municipal public transport operator for Amsterdam, the Netherlands, operating metro, tram, bus and ferry services in the metropolitan area of Amsterdam.

History

The forerunner of the GVB, the Gemeentetram Amsterdam (GTA) (Amsterdam Municipal Tramway), was established on 1 January 1900 by the city after it acquired a number of private companies. The first electric tram ran on 14 August 1900. In 1925, the GTA introduced its first bus line. In 1943, Gemeentetram merged with Gemeenteveren Amsterdam (established in 1897), the municipal ferry company, to form Gemeente VervoerbedrijfSometimes also written Gemeentevervoerbedrijf. Amsterdam (; ). In 1977, the first metro line was introduced.

By 2002, the organization was simply called GVB. In 2007, the GVB became a public limited company under the name GVB Activa B.V., wholly owned by the City of Amsterdam; previously, the GVB was part of the City Of Amsterdam. Between 2006 and 2016, Stadsregio Amsterdam was the authority responsible for all public transport in the greater Amsterdam area; it granted a concession to the GVB to provide public transport services. In 2010, Stadsregio Amsterdam extended the concession of the GVB for the period 2012–2017, and at the end of 2013, further extended it until 2024. On 1 January 2017, Vervoerregio Amsterdam replaced Stadsregio Amsterdam as the public transport authority for the greater Amsterdam area. In 2025 the concession was extended until 2036.GVB's Amsterdam transport concession extended to 2036 Tramways & Urban Transit issue 1053 September 2025 page 330

Network The GVB operates a number of public transportation networks in and around the city of Amsterdam, including: 5 metro lines, partly elevated, no level crossings. 14 tram routes, on street, partly mixed with all other traffic, partly on lanes shared with buses and taxis, and partly on separate lanes. 46 bus routes; buses often mix with other traffic, but sometimes on lanes shared with trams and taxis, or for buses only. 10 ferry routes across the IJ; at least one is frequent, operating 24 hours a day, free of charge.

The newest metro line is the North/South line, which was opened on 22 July 2018.

Metro

(standard gauge) Power: 750V DC (third rail) Amsterdam, Diemen, Ouder-Amstel

Metro routes 50: Isolatorweg – Station Sloterdijk – Station Lelylaan – Station Zuid – Station Bijlmer ArenA – Gein 51: Isolatorweg – Station Sloterdijk – Station Lelylaan – Station Zuid – Amstelstation – Centraal Station 52: Station Zuid – Rokin – Amsterdam Centraal - Station Noord 53: Amsterdam Centraal – Amstelstation – Station Diemen Zuid – Gaasperplas 54: Amsterdam Centraal – Amstelstation – Station Bijlmer ArenA – Gein

Light rail

(standard gauge) Power: 600V DC (overhead) Amsterdam, Amstelveen

Former light rail route 51: Amsterdam Centraal – Amstelstation – Station Zuid – Buitenveldert – Amstelveen Westwijk

Until 3 March 2019, line 51 to Amstelveen was a metro service between Central Station and Station Zuid. At Station Zuid it switched from third rail to pantograph and catenary wires. From there to Amstelveen Centrum it shared its track with tram line 5. The light rail vehicles on this line were capable of using both 600V (overhead) and 750V DC (third rail) power supplies.

Tram

(standard gauge) Power: 600V DC (overhead) Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Diemen, Uithoorn

Tram routes 1: Amsterdam Muiderpoort – Vijzelgracht – Leidseplein – Station Lelylaan – Osdorp De Aker 2: Amsterdam Centraal – Leidsestraat – Hoofddorpplein – Nieuw Sloten 3: Zoutkeetsgracht – Ceintuurbaan – Muiderpoortstation – Flevopark 4: Amsterdam Centraal – Utrechtsestraat – Station RAI 5: Westerpark – Elandsgracht – Leidseplein – Museumplein – Station Zuid – Amstelveen Stadshart 7: Slotermeer – Leidseplein – Azartplein 12: Amsterdam Centraal – Leidseplein – Museumplein – Ceintuurbaan – Amstelstation 13: Amsterdam Centraal – Rozengracht – Geuzenveld 14: Amsterdam Centraal – Dam – Artis Zoo – Flevopark 17: Amsterdam Centraal – Rozengracht – Station Lelylaan – Osdorp Dijkgraafplein 19: Amsterdam Sloterdijk – Bos en Lommer – Elandsgracht – Leidseplein – Vijzelgracht – Diemen Sniep 24: Amsterdam Centraal – Rokin – Vijzelgracht – De Pijp – Ceintuurbaan – VU Medisch Centrum 25: Station Zuid – Buitenveldert – Amstelveen Westwijk - Uithoorn 26: Amsterdam Centraal – Piet Heintunnel – IJburg 27: Dijkgraafplein - Surinameplein (This route operates during Weekday AM rush hour only)

Buses

, GVB bus services had 22 regular daytime routes (numbered between 15–68), 8 rush-hour routes (200-series route numbers), 11 night routes (numbered as "N" plus two digits) of which just 2 routes run seven days a week. One route (369) runs between Schiphol Airport and Sloterdijk station (railway and metro connections). Three routes (461, 463, 464) offer free rides to the Gelderlandplein shopping centre in the Buitenveldert neighbourhood of Amsterdam.

, there were 233 buses in the fleet of which 31 were electric.

The busiest bus route as of 2017, is bus route 21, running every 8 minutes or less, seven days a week.

Bus routes Line Route Notes 15 Station Sloterdijk – Station Zuid 18 Amsterdam Centraal – Slotervaart 21 Amsterdam Centraal – Geuzenveld 22 Station Sloterdijk – Muiderpoortstation 34 Noorderpark (metrostation) – Olof Palmeplein 35 Molenwijk – Olof Palmeplein 36 Station Noord – Station Sloterdijk 37 Station Noord – Amstelstation 38 Buiksloterham – Station Noord 40 Amstelstation – Muiderpoortstation 41 Station Holendrecht – Muiderpoortstation 43 Amsterdam Centraal – Borneo-eiland 44 Station Bijlmer ArenA – Diemen-Noord 47 Station Bijlmer ArenA – Station Holendrecht 48 Amsterdam Centraal – Houthavens 49 Station Bijlmer ArenA – Station Weesp Operates during daytime hours on weekdays only. 61 Station Sloterdijk – Osdorpplein 62 Station Lelylaan – Amstelstation 63 Station Lelylaan – Osdorp De Aker 65 KNSM-eiland – Station Zuid 66 Station Bijlmer ArenA – IJburg 68 Metrostation Henk Sneevlietweg – Riekerpolder Operates during daytime hours on weekdays only. 231 Station Sloterdijk – Abberdaan Rush hour commuter route 232 Station Sloterdijk – Westpoort Rush hour commuter route 233 Station Sloterdijk – Westpoort Rush hour commuter route 245 Molenwijk – Schiphol Zuid Early morning one-way route to Schipol Airport 246 Borneo-eiland – Schiphol Zuid Early morning one-way route to Schipol Airport 247 Bos en Lommerplein – Schiphol Zuid Early morning one-way route to Schipol Airport 267 Anderlechtlaan – John M. Keynesplein Rush hour commuter route 369 Station Sloterdijk – Schiphol Operates to and from Schipol Airport 461 Gelderlandplein – Gustav Mahlerplein Only operates during late morning and afternoon hours 463 Gelderlandplein – Bolestein Only operates during late morning and afternoon hours 464 Gelderlandplein – Vivaldi Only operates during late morning and afternoon hours

Night bus routes These routes operate as a hub and spoke model. Hours of operation are extended longer on Saturday and Sunday mornings due to a later start of service for daytime routes.

Line Route Days of Operation N81Centraal Station - Station SloterdijkFriday and weekend nights N82Centraal Station - GeuzenveldFriday and weekend nights N83Centraal Station - Osdorp De AkerFriday and weekend nights N84Centraal Station - Amstelveen BusstationFriday and weekend nights N85Centraal Station - Station GeinNightlyN86Centraal Station - Station Bijlmer ArenAWeekend nights N87Centraal Station - Station Bijlmer ArenANightly N88Centraal Station - Nieuw SlotenFriday and weekend nights N89Centraal Station - IJburgFriday and weekend nights N91Centraal Station - NieuwendamFriday and weekend nights N93Centraal Station - MolenwijkFriday and weekend nights

Ferries

Since 1 July 2013, GVB Veren (veren meaning ferries) has been operating ferry services crossing both the IJ and the North Sea Canal on behalf of the City of Amsterdam. Most of these ferries offer free rides for pedestrians and cyclists. Within the City of Amsterdam, there are seven ferry routes across the IJ, two of which operate overnight. Outside of Amsterdam, the GVB operates three ferry routes across the North Sea Canal at Zaandam, Velsen and Assendelft. The GVB has 19 ferry boats servicing these routes, and is replacing diesel-powered ferries with electrically-operated vessels. The ferries have a maximum speed of .

Ferry routes crossing the IJ are: F1: Azartplein to Zamenhofstraat F2: Central Station to IJplein F3: Central Station to Buiksloterweg (24/7 with a 12-minute frequency between 12:00am and 6:24am) F4: Central Station to NDSM F5: Central Station to NDSM via Pontsteiger F6: Pontsteiger to Distelweg F7: Pontsteiger to NDSM F9: Zeeburgereiland to Sporenburg

Ferry routes crossing the North Sea Canal are: F20 Hempontplein to Zaandam F21 Spaarndam to Assendelft (24/7) F22 Velsen Zuid to Velsen Noord (24/7)

Ticketing The Amsterdam public transport network falls under the National Tariff System of the Netherlands and the GVB has a few of its own tickets, notably the 24-, 48- and 72- hour tickets. The electronic OV-chipkaart has been the only ticketing system valid in the Amsterdam metro since the summer of 2009, and in the rest of the network (tram, bus) since June 2010. In July of 2026, the GVB announced it has been testing a hands-free system that allows passengers to check in without scanning a phone or card. Most trams carry conductors, but as they no longer stamp passengers' strippenkaarten their role has been deskilled; it now consists in ensuring security along with selling the occasional OV-chipkaart and optionally announcing the stops.

Notes

References

External links

GVB (official) Tram Travels: Gemeentevervoerbedrijf Amsterdam (GVB) UrbanRail.Net