Regular passenger service using two autonomous minibuses in Herford will be temporarily suspended from 31 March 2026. New autonomous vehicles are expected to arrive in Herford later in 2026. Discussions are currently underway with various vehicle manufacturers.
Since September 2025, the two existing autonomous minibuses from manufacturer ZF Mobility Solutions have been operating on a circular route in Herford city centre as part of the public transport network – this followed several months of test runs without passengers. We reported on this here: https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/jetzt-auch-in-herford-autonomes-fahren-im-testbetrieb .
Initial results from the trial operation show that autonomous shuttles can be a reliable part of local public transport, particularly in rural areas. As recently as January 2026, the project was presented live to various representatives from smaller surrounding municipalities in the Herford district.
The collaboration with the previous partner, ZF, will now end on 31 March 2026; the company is discontinuing the development of autonomous transport systems. As part of the ULTIMO project, ZF had provided two vehicles in collaboration with the Austrian manufacturer eVersum and had also supported the establishment of the control centre and the definition of the necessary process steps leading up to regular operation. DB will therefore be taking the existing regular service model in Herford into a new project phase: new vehicle types are to be introduced to Herford, and the transition from one vehicle fleet to another is also to be tested in practice. New service formats, such as an on-demand service, are also conceivable. During the temporary break in operations, the ULTIMO team is now making all the necessary preparations to launch new autonomous vehicles in Herford.
About the ULTIMO project
The project name ULTIMO refers to the ‘last’ major EU project on autonomous driving in public transport before the technology is ready for series production. The project aims to develop standards for how autonomous vehicles from different manufacturers can be operated together within a single city’s public transport system.
As part of ULTIMO, 23 partners from seven European countries are working under the project leadership of DB to bring autonomous vehicles of various sizes into regular service in the three cities of Geneva, Oslo and Herford. The first trial operation began in Oslo in February 2024.
The ULTIMO project is receiving financial support from the European Union totalling around 24 million euros.
(Info: DB)
