Private company

Hamburg-Köln-Express

Logo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Railway company based in Cologne1

Hamburg-Köln-Express GmbH (HKX) was a Cologne-based open-access train operating company providing long-distance railway passenger services in Germany. It was founded in October 2009 as a joint venture by Railroad Development Corporation (RDC) Deutschland GmbH, an affiliate of USA-based Railroad Development Corp., Locomore rail GmbH & CO. KG, and British railway investor Michael Schabas.2 It employed 42 people in 2013.1 It ceased to exist in 2018.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

Oct 5, 2009Founded1
  • HeadquartersCologne1
  • Founded inColonia1
  • Websitehkx.de
  • Legal formGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung1

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HKX ES 64 U2-036 - Duisburg Hbf, 24th September 2014
Photo: Fabien Perissinotto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

Hamburg-Köln-Express GmbH (HKX) was a Cologne-based open-access train operating company providing long-distance railway passenger services in Germany. It was founded in October 2009 as a joint venture by Railroad Development Corporation (RDC) Deutschland GmbH, an affiliate of USA-based Railroad Development Corp., Locomore rail GmbH & CO. KG, and British railway investor Michael Schabas.2

The story

RDC Deutschland GmbH (75%) is based in Berlin and is a 100% subsidiary of the Railroad Development Corporation (RDC). RDC is a Pittsburgh-based railway investment and management company founded in 1987 by Henry Posner III and Robert A. Pietrandrea which has invested in railway operations all over the world. Locomore rail GmbH & CO. KG (17.5%) is a railway traffic enterprise in Berlin with the focus on long-distance traffic. Michael Schabas (7.5%) is a railway investor in London.

From Wikipedia’s article on Hamburg-Köln-Express, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

HKX operated at least one train each way each day, from Fridays to Mondays. Fares for the entire route ranged from €20 to €60.

The Hamburg-Köln-Express called at most intermediate stations also served by DB long-distance trains, but left out Düsseldorf Airport and Bremen Hbf. HKX used the freight line bypassing Bremen, reducing journey times to Hamburg. An additional stop at nearby Sagehorn was planned but never introduced.

The trains called only at Osnabrück, Münster, Gelsenkirchen, Essen, Duisburg, and Düsseldorf.

On 14 March 2012 Veolia Verkehr, a subsidiary of Veolia-Transdev, signed an agreement to operate the services under contract to HKX. Veolia provided drivers and locomotives. For a time, services were operated using former Rheingold coaches hauled by leased Siemens ES 64 U2 "Taurus" type electric locos, which were planned to be replaced by refurbished Class 4010 type trainsets formerly owned by ÖBB.

Read the full text

From December 2015 onwards, the coaches were from Bahn Touristik Express, which also operated the trains under contract to HKX. The locomotive was still a leased ES 64 U2 "Taurus". Services ran at speeds of up to 160 km/h.

From Wikipedia’s article on Hamburg-Köln-Express, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Owners

From Wikidata.1

Employees over time

  • 2013421
  • 2012401

Timeline

  1. 2018Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. Oct 5, 2009Founded Founded in Colonia1

Sources

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