With no less than five Setra S 531 DT double-deckers, the operator BKW from Bad Wildungen (Bad Wildunger Kraftwagenverkehrs- und Wasserversorgungs-GmbH) has modernised line 500 between the spa town and Kassel. The line follows the “German Fairy Tale Road” in its course many times, it is 50 kilometres from terminus to terminus, and it is used by many commuters and students. In keeping with the long journey, it was important to BKW to offer passengers a high level of comfort. Hence the double-deckers, which offer 85 seats and 14 standing places. For a bus that was developed from a touring car, it is remarkable that the cars have a special use area for wheelchairs and prams in the lower deck. They are the first Setra double decker ever to have a 1,380 mm wide double door in the middle of the lower deck, and there is also a fold-out ramp for wheelchair users here. Another detail is currently not yet a matter of course for a regular-service bus either, but it is useful: an electronic passenger counting system on both doors provides permanent information about the use of the coach.
Line 500 operates on behalf of the transport authority Nordhessischer Verkehrs Verbund (NVV). It takes about one hour and 21 minutes from one terminus (Bad Wildungen, Breiter Hagen) to the other (Kassel, Bahnhof Wilhelmshöhe). The trains run every 60 minutes, and there are also intermediate services during rush hour.
The coaches are painted in green, blue and white, and because the line is on the “German Fairy Tale Route”, the buses feature motifs from the fairy tales Rapunzel and Frau Holle.
23.08.2022
