Trolleybus Usage By Country
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As of 2012 there were around 300 cities or metropolitan areas where
trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
es were operated,Webb, Mary (ed.) (2012). ''Jane's Urban Transport Systems 2012–2013'', pp. " 3 and " 4 (in foreword). Coulsdon, Surrey (UK):
Jane's Information Group Janes is a global open-source intelligence company specialising in military, national security, aerospace and transport topics, whose name derives from British author Fred T. Jane. History Jane's Information Group was founded in 1898 by Fred T. ...
. .
and more than 500 additional trolleybus systems have existed in the past. For complete lists of trolleybus systems by location, with dates of opening and (where applicable) closure, see List of trolleybus systems and the related lists indexed there. The following are summary notes about current and past trolleybus operation, by country, for every country in which trolleybuses have operated (aside from temporary, experimental operations).


Africa


Morocco

A new trolleybus system in
Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi Regions of Morocco, region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mounta ...
, Morocco, opened in September 2017.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 336 (November–December 2017), p. 230. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . It is the first trolleybus system to operate in any African country since 1986. In the past, trolleybuses provided service in several South African cities, as well as two cities in Algeria, three in Morocco (of which Marrakesh was not one), one in Tunisia and one in Egypt.Murray, Alan (2000). ''World Trolleybus Encyclopaedia''. Yateley, Hampshire, UK: Trolleybooks. .


South Africa

Until 2017, the last city on the continent to be served by trolleybuses had been
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, whose trolleybus system closed in 1986.


Asia

In addition to the countries listed below, the following countries in Asia once possessed trolleybus systems, but in just a single city or metropolitan area each, and all of these had ceased operation by 1999:
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
(now Sri Lanka), Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, and Vietnam.


Afghanistan

The country had only one trolleybus system, in Kabul. It was constructed from the mid-1970s and opened in 1979, in the
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, later known as the Republic of Afghanistan, was the Afghan state between History of Afghanistan (1978–1992), 1978 and 1992. It was bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, by Iran to the west, by the ...
. Damage received during the
civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
caused operation to be suspended indefinitely in 1993, and the system never reopened.Box, Roland (March–April 2000). "The 1990s in Retrospect. ''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 230, pp. 27–33. National Trolleybus Association (UK). .


China

Trolleybuses have provided regular public transport service in 27 different cities in China at one time or another. Currently, 11 urban systems are in operation, and they include Beijing,
Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
,
Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...
,
Wuhan Wuhan; is the capital of Hubei, China. With a population of over eleven million, it is the most populous city in Hubei and the List of cities in China by population, eighth-most-populous city in China. It is also one of the nine National cent ...
,
Qingdao Qingdao, Mandarin: , (Qingdao Mandarin: t͡ɕʰiŋ˧˩ tɒ˥) is a prefecture-level city in the eastern Shandong Province of China. Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, Qingdao was long an important fortress. In 1897, the city was ceded to G ...
and
Jinan Jinan is the capital of the province of Shandong in East China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is one of the largest cities in Shandong in terms of population. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of ...
, among other locations. Beijing's trolleybus system, the most extensive in China and one of the largest in the world, has 31 routes and served by a fleet of over 1,250 dual-mode single and articulated trolleybuses. Asia's first e BRT trolleybus system is in Beijing. Shanghai's system is the world's oldest continuously operating trolleybus system, having been in operation since November 1914. China also has a few very small trolleybus systems located away from urban areas, at
coal mine Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
s, with trolleybuses used for transporting of workers between the mines and the workers' housing areas. One such line is at the Wuyang Coal Mine, located near
Changzhi Changzhi ( zh, s=长治) is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Shanxi Province, China, bordering the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the northeast and east, respectively. Historically, the city was one of the 36 administrative areas ( ...
, in Shanxi province, which opened in 1985 and, as of 2010, had a fleet of 10 articulated trolleybuses.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 295 (January–February 2011), p. 17.


India

A small trolleybus system operated in
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
from 1935 until about 1962. The
Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) is an Indian civic transport and electricity provider public body based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was originally set up in 1873 as a tramway company called Bombay Tramway Com ...
of
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
operated trolleybuses from 1962 to 1971.


Iran

The only trolleybus system to have existed in Iran is located in the capital,
Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
, and opened in 1992.Haseldine, Peter (March–April 2015). "Tehran Closure". ''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 320, pp. 40–43. For about 20 years it featured a fleet of 65 articulated vehicles serving routes running mostly in reserved lanes. In 2005, the size of the system was relatively unchanged. Five routes were in operation, of which two were
limited-stop In public transit, particularly bus, tram, or train transportation, a limited-stop (or sometimes referred to as semi-fast) service is a trip pattern that stops less frequently than a local service. Many limited-stop or semi-fast services are a co ...
services, all starting at Meydan-e-Emam-Hoseyn ( Imam Hossein Square),''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 265 (January–February 2006), pp. 16–17. near Imam Hossein station of Tehran Metro Line 2. Two routes ran east from the square and three ran south. The former closed sometime between 2005 and 2010, while the latter remained in operation. A newly built extension to
Tehran Railway Station Tehran Railway Station () is located in Rah Ahan Square, at the foot of Valiasr Street in the southern part of Tehran, the capital of Iran. The railway station was originally designed in 1928-29 by Polish architect Władysław Horodecki, who ...
(at Rahahan Square) was opened in 2010, but subsequent
pedestrianisation Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town restricted to use by people on foot or ...
at Meydan-e-Emam-Hoseyn led to the curtailment of all three routes to a point about 1 km south of that busy hub, and all trolleybus service was suspended indefinitely around 2013. However, the system reopened in March 2016, initially limited to a 2-km route between Bozorgrah-e-Be'sat and Meydan-e-Khorasan''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 328 (July–August 2016), pp. 118–119. but extended by 2018 from the latter to Meydan-e-Shohada, making the route length around .''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 340 (July–August 2018), pp. 148, 150. National Trolleybus Association (UK).


Japan

No trolleybus systems remain in operation, the last having closed in 2024. After 1972, when the last urban system closed, the only remaining trolleybus operation was the Kanden Tunnel Trolleybus, an unusual mountain line that opened in 1964, and after 1996 additionally the similar and nearby Tateyama Tunnel Trolleybus line that opened as a trolleybus service that year. Now served by battery-electric buses, both lines are mostly or entirely in tunnel and serve mainly tourists and hikers in a scenic mountainous area. The Kanden Tunnel line was converted from trolleybuses to battery buses between its 2018 and 2019 seasons, while the same conversion took place on the Tateyama Tunnel line between the 2024 and 2025 seasons, with 30 November 2024 being the last day of operation of the last trolleybus line in Japan.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 374 (March–April 2024), p. 79. National Trolleybus Association (UK). .''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 380 (March–April 2025), p. 79. National Trolleybus Association (UK). In the 20th century, conventional trolleybus systems operated in seven Japanese cities. Trolleybuses were part of the regular urban transport service in the cities of Kawasaki,
Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
,
Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
,
Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
, Tokyo and
Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
, mainly during the 1950s and 1960s, but lasting from 1932 to 1969 in Kyoto. The last urban system to close was that of Yokohama, in 1972. In Japan, this mode of transport is regarded as a railway, so the requirements of the Act on Rail Tracks/Railway Business Act were applied. The drivers were required to get a licence of
railroad engineer A train driver is a person who operates a train, railcar, or other rail transport vehicle. The driver is in charge of and is responsible for the mechanical operation of the train, train speed, and all of the train handling (also known as bra ...
as well as a
driver's license A driver's license, driving licence, or driving permit is a legal authorization, or the official document confirming such an authorization, for a specific individual to operate one or more types of motorized vehicles—such as motorcycles, ca ...
.


Kyrgyzstan

Trolleybus systems operate in the capital city,
Bishkek Bishkek, formerly known as Pishpek (until 1926), and then Frunze (1926–1991), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. Bishkek is situated near the Kazakhstan ...
(since 1951), as well as in
Osh Osh is a city in Kyrgyzstan. Osh or OSH may also refer to: * Osh (food), in Tajik and Uzbek cuisines * Osh (singer) (born 1995), English singer and rapper * OSH, the IATA code for Wittman Regional Airport near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States ...
(since 1977) and
Naryn Naryn ( ; ) is the regional administrative center of Naryn Region in central Kyrgyzstan. Its area is , and its estimated population was 41,178 as of January 2021. The town was established as a fortress on the caravan route in 1868. It is situated ...
(since 1994), as of 1999. All three were still in operation in 2013.''Trolleybus Magazine'' Nos. 311 (September–October 2013), p. 132, and 312 (November–December 2013), p. 164. National Trolleybus Association (UK). Bishkek uses trolleybuses alongside buses and
marshrutka ''Marshrutnoye taksi''Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Mongolia, most populous city of Mongolia. It has a population of 1.6 million, and it is the coldest capital city in the world by average yearly temperature. The municipa ...
, has several trolleybus-operating private companies. The trolleybus system was introduced to Mongolia by the Soviet Union during the industrialization period of the city.


Nepal

Chinese-built trolleybuses operated on a route from
Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...
to
Bhaktapur Bhaktapur (Nepali language, Nepali and Sanskrit: भक्तपुर, ; "City of Devotees"), known locally as Khwopa (Nepal Bhasa: , ) and historically called Bhadgaon, is a city in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal located abou ...
between 1975 and 2001. A limited trolleybus service was restarted in 2003, and there were plans to expand it, but they did not come to fruition. Trolleybus operation was suspended again in November 2008, and in 2009 that cessation was made permanent.


North Korea

Trolleybuses have operated in
Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...
since 1962, with a large fleet serving several routes. Due to the closed nature of North Korea, the existence of trolleybus networks in other North Korean cities was generally unknown outside the country for many years, but it is now known that around 12 to 15 other cities also possess trolleybus systems, among them
Chongjin Chŏngjin (; ) is the capital of North Korea's North Hamgyong Province (함경북도) and the country's List of cities in North Korea, third-largest city. Sometimes called the City of Iron, it is located in the northeast of the country. History ...
and
Nampho Nampo (North Korean official spelling: Nampho; ), also spelled Namp'o, is a major city in North Korea which is the country's fourth-largest by population. The city is an important seaport in the country as it lies on the northern shore of the T ...
.Tarkhov, Sergei; and Merzlov, Dmitriy. "North Korean Surprises". ''Trolleybus Magazine'' Nos. 244–6 (July, September and November 2002). A few other places have private, very small (in some cases only one or two vehicles) systems for transporting workers from a housing area to a nearby coal mine or other industrial site—or at least did at some time within recent years. Trolleybuses include both imported and locally made vehicles. Imported buses are from Europe and copied versions from China. There are a few local manufacturers of trolleybuses. More recently, while the systems in larger cities are refreshed, some smaller networks, such as
Tanchon Tanch'ŏn () is a port city in northeastern South Hamgyŏng province, North Korea. It has a population of approximately 360,000. Tanch'ŏn borders the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea), into which the Namdae River flows. Administrative divisio ...
(2011), Hochon County (2020), Onsong County (before 2004),
Kapsan County Kapsan County is a Administrative divisions of North Korea, ''kun'', or county, in Ryanggang Province, North Korea. During Joseon, officials who had fallen into disfavour were often sent into Exile, internal exile there. Geography Kapsan lies on ...
(unknown), Sinpyong County (2015), Sudong (unknown) and Yonsan County (unknown) have had their trolleybuses removed, though at least in Onsong, the wires have been preserved in relatively good condition.


Saudi Arabia

The first and only trolleybus system to exist in Saudi Arabia opened in April 2013 in
Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...
, serving the then-new main campus of the King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. The service is provided with a fleet of 12 articulated trolleybuses built in Germany by Viseon Bus.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 310, July–August 2013.


Tajikistan

Two trolleybus networks have operated in this country, both having been built during the
Soviet period The history of the Soviet Union (USSR) (1922–91) began with the ideals of the Russian Bolshevik Revolution and ended in dissolution amidst economic collapse and political disintegration. Established in 1922 following the Russian Civil War, ...
, the Dushanbe system in 1955 and the
Khujand Khujand, sometimes spelled Khodjent and formerly known as Leninabad from 1936 to 1991, is the second-largest city of Tajikistan and the capital of Tajikistan's northernmost Sughd province. Khujand is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia, d ...
(Khodzhent) one in 1970. The Dushanbe system is still in operation as of 2015, whilst the Khujand system was closed in September 2010 (discontinuation officially announced in April 2013).


Turkey

Trolleybuses operate in
Malatya Malatya (; ; Syriac language, Syriac ܡܠܝܛܝܢܐ Malīṭīná; ; Ancient Greek: Μελιτηνή) is a city in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey and the capital of Malatya Province. The city has been a human settlement for thousands of y ...
(a new system opened in 2015) and Sanliurfa (opened in 2023), and in the past, the Asian part of Turkey included trolleybus systems in Ankara and Izmir. See Turkey listing in ''Eurasia'' section, below, for details.


Turkmenistan

The capital city of
Ashgabat Ashgabat (Turkmen language, Turkmen: ''Aşgabat'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag, Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, approximately 50 km (30  ...
is the only city where trolleybuses have operated. The system opened in 1964 and closed at the end of 2011.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 302 (March–April 2012), p. 46.


Uzbekistan

Nine cities in this former Soviet republic have had trolleybus systems. All nine were still in operation in 1999, but by 2010 all except the Urgench system, which is an interurban line between
Urgench Urgench (//, ; ; ) is a district-level city in western Uzbekistan. It is the capital of Xorazm Region. The estimated population of Urgench in 2021 was 145,000, an increase from 139,100 in 1999. It lies on the Amu Darya River and the Shavat canal ...
and
Khiva Khiva ( uz-Latn-Cyrl, Xiva, Хива, ; other names) is a district-level city of approximately 93,000 people in Khorazm Region, Uzbekistan. According to archaeological data, the city was established around 2,500 years ago. In 1997, Khiva celebr ...
, had closed.Box, Roland (July–August 2010). "More about the 2000s". ''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 292, pp. 78–82. National Trolleybus Association (UK). .


Eurasia

This section is for countries located partly in Asia and partly in Europe. See the "Asia" and "Europe" sections for countries not included here.


Armenia

Six trolleybus routes run in
Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...
,
Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
. The trolleybus system has been in operation since 1949.


Azerbaijan

Trolleybus systems have existed in five cities:
Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
,
Ganja ''Ganja'' (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for cannabis flower, specifically marijuana or hashish. Its usage in English dates to before 1689. Etymology ''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi (, IPA: aːɲd͡ʒa ...
,
Mingachevir Mingachevir ( ) is the fourth largest city in Azerbaijan with a population of about 106,000. It is often called the "city of lights" because of its hydroelectric power station on the Kura (South Caucasus river), Kura River, which divides the city ...
, Nakhchivan and
Sumqayit Sumqayit (or Sumgait; ; , ) is a city in Azerbaijan, located near the Caspian Sea, on the Absheron Peninsula, about away from the capital Baku. The city had a population of 427,000 at the beginning of 2024, making it the List of cities in Azerb ...
(Sumgait). Of these, the Baku system was the earliest, opened in 1941, and the largest, with 360 vehicles at its maximum and 30 routes. All five systems survived into the 2000s, but they all closed during that decade, the last to close being the Baku and Mingachevir systems, in 2006.


Georgia

Trolleybuses remain in operation only in
Sukhumi Sukhumi or Sokhumi is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the Capital city, capital and largest city of Abkhazia, a partially recognised state that most countries consider a part of Georgia (country), Georgia. The ...
, but trolleybuses once operated in 11 other Georgian cities (see List of trolleybus systems). All 12 systems were opened during the
Soviet era The history of the Soviet Union (USSR) (1922–91) began with the ideals of the Russian Bolshevik Revolution and ended in dissolution amidst economic collapse and political disintegration. Established in 1922 following the Russian Civil War, ...
, when Georgia was part of the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. The
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...
system opened in 1937, while the opening dates for the others ranged from 1967 to 1986. The Gori system, which ceased operation in March 2010,''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 292 (July–August 2010), p. 90. National Trolleybus Association (UK). was the most recent closure.


Soviet Union

Trolleybuses have operated in all 15 of the now-independent
republics A republic, based on the Latin phrase '' res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a state in which political power rests with the public (people), typically through their representatives—in contrast to a monarchy. Although ...
that once made up the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, with by far the largest number of systems being in Russia and Ukraine. For information on specific countries, see their separate entries in this article.


Turkey

Trolleybuses have operated in both the Asian and European parts of Turkey, in five cities:
Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...
,
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, Izmir,
Malatya Malatya (; ; Syriac language, Syriac ܡܠܝܛܝܢܐ Malīṭīná; ; Ancient Greek: Μελιτηνή) is a city in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey and the capital of Malatya Province. The city has been a human settlement for thousands of y ...
, and Sanliurfa. The last two of these are new systems opened in 2015 and 2023, respectively, while the other three systems had all closed by the early 1990s. Turkey's first trolleybus line began operating in 1947 in the capital, Ankara. On 1 June 1947, 10
Brill Brill may refer to: Places * Brielle (sometimes "Den Briel"), a town in the western Netherlands * Brill, Buckinghamshire, a village in England * Brill, Cornwall, a small village to the west of Constantine, Cornwall, UK * Brill, Wisconsin, an un ...
trolleybuses, joined in 1948 by 10 FBW vehicles, started running between the Ulus and Bakanliklar districts. In 1952, 13 more trolleybuses were bought from MAN. The system closed in 1986. In the financial and cultural capital, Istanbul, the first trolleybuses were introduced in the early 1960s. The first line was the Topkapi-Eminönü line and was constructed by the Italian Ansaldo San Giorgia company. The total length of trolleybus line was 45 km, and there were 100 buses in operation at the system's peak. However, due to frequent power losses it was decided to close the system, and the last trolleybus ran in 1984.Last tramcar in Istanbul
IETT The Istanbul Electricity, Tram and Tunnel Establishments () or İETT is the transportation authority in Istanbul connected to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality specializing in public transportation. History After nationalizing various c ...
. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
The Izmir system closed in 1992, leaving the country with no trolleybus systems for the next two decades. The new system in Malatya opened in March 2015''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 321 (May–June 2015), p. 90. and serves a single route that is around in length and connects Maşti Otogar (the city's
bus station A bus station, bus depot, or bus interchange is a structure where city buses or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. A bus station is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can st ...
) with İnönü University (İnönü Üniversitesi), using bi-articulated trolleybuses.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 328 (July–August 2016), p. 124. Another new system opened in April 2023 in Sanliurfa, using the first six of 10
articulated An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent coupling in its construction. This coupling works as a large pivot joint, allowing it to bend and turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buse ...
trolleybuses on order from manufacturer Bozankaya, on a route.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 370 (July–August 2023), p. 173. National Trolleybus Association (UK).


Europe


Austria

The largest trolleybus system in Austria is in
Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
, with nine routes and 80 trolleybuses, operating from 06:00 to midnight. The system was introduced in 1940 and has been expanded during recent years.
Linz Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...
has four routes and 19 vehicles; after years of uncertainty the continued existence of the system is guaranteed by the operator. The trolleybuses in
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
went out of service in 2007 because of an expected expansion of the
light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
system. A trolleybus system with two routes existed in
Kapfenberg Kapfenberg () is a city in the Bruck-Mürzzuschlag district of the Austrian state of Styria. It lies in the valley of the Mürz river in central Austria. With an estimated population of 22,080 individuals in 2024, it is the third largest city in S ...
until 2002. The towns of Klagenfurt and
Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...
closed their trolleybus systems in the 1960s.


Belarus

The trolleybus system in
Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
(since 1952) is the largest in the world. Trolleybuses also work in Brest,
Vitebsk Vitebsk or Vitsyebsk (, ; , ; ) is a city in northern Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Vitebsk Region and Vitebsk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has 358,927 inhabitants, m ...
,
Gomel Gomel (, ) or Homyel (, ) is a city in south-eastern Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Gomel Region and Gomel District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it is the List of cities and largest ...
,
Grodno Grodno, or Hrodna, is a city in western Belarus. It is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. The city is located on the Neman, Neman River, from Minsk, about from the Belarus–Poland border, border with Poland, and from the Belarus–Lithua ...
,
Mogilev Mogilev (; , ), also transliterated as Mahilyow (, ), is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, about from the Belarus–Russia border, border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2024, ...
and
Babruysk Babruysk (, ) or Bobruysk (, ; , ) is a city in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Babruysk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is situated on the Berezina, Berezina River. Bab ...
(since 1978).


Belgium

No trolleybus systems remain in operation in Belgium, but in the past, trolleybuses provided a portion of the local transport service in
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
, Brussels,
Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...
and
Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
. The last system, that of Ghent, which ceased operation in June 2009, had opened much later than all of the other Belgian trolleybus systems, in 1989. Government funds to build the Ghent system were provided, in part, for the purpose of improving the prospects for the export of Belgian-built trolleybuses, and the Ghent system's fleet was made up entirely of trolleybuses built by
Van Hool Van Hool NV () was a Belgium, Belgian coachbuilder and manufacturer of buses, Coach (bus), coaches, trolleybuses, and Semi-trailer, trailers. Most of the buses and coaches were built entirely by Van Hool, with engines and axles sourced from C ...
, a Belgian company. The Brussels system comprised only a single route (the 54), in contrast to that city's large
tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
system. Liège had two independent trolleybus systems. One of them, a small system connecting Liège to the suburb of
Seraing Seraing (; ) is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality and City status in Belgium, city of Wallonia located in the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Boncelles, Jemeppe-sur-M ...
, operated the world's only double-ended (bi-directional) trolleybuses; the vehicles were eventually rebuilt to conventional (single-ended) configuration. One of those unique vehicles, restored to double-ended configuration, is preserved at the ''Musée des Transports en commun du Pays de Liège''. Trolleybuses from the other Liège system and from Brussels and Ghent are preserved at various museums, including 1932-built Liège 425 at the Sandtoft museum, in England.


Bosnia and Herzegovina

Trolleybuses are in use only in the capital city,
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
. Operation and maintenance is done by GRAS (City transportation). There are seven routes. Some past routes were destroyed in the
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
.


Bulgaria

Trolleybus networks operate in
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
(since 1941),
Pleven Pleven ( ) is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality. It is the biggest economic center in ...
(1985),
Varna Varna may refer to: Places Europe *Varna, Bulgaria, a city ** Varna Province ** Varna Municipality ** Gulf of Varna ** Lake Varna **Varna Necropolis * Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy * Varna (Šabac), a village in Serbia Asia * Var ...
(1986),
Sliven Sliven ( ) is List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality in Northern Thrace. It is situated in the Sliven Valley at the foothills of th ...
(1986),
Stara Zagora Stara Zagora (, ) is a city in Bulgaria, and the administrative capital of Stara Zagora Province. It is located in the Upper Thracian Plain, near the cities of Kazanlak, Plovdiv, and Sliven. Its population is 121,582 making it the sixth largest c ...
(1987), Ruse (1988),
Vratsa Vratsa ( ) is the largest city in northwestern Bulgaria and the administrative and economic centre of the municipality of Vratsa and Vratsa district. It is about north of Sofia, southeast of Montana. Situated at the foot of the Vrachanski Bal ...
(1988),
Burgas Burgas (, ), sometimes transliterated as Bourgas, is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, fourth-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv, an ...
(1989),
Haskovo Haskovo ( ) is a city in the region of Northern Thrace in southern Bulgaria and the administrative centre of the Haskovo Province, not far from the borders with Greece and Turkey. According to Operative Program Regional Development of Bulgaria ...
(1990) and
Pazardzhik Pazardzhik ( ) is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, southern Bulgaria. It is the centre of Pazardzhik Province and Pazardzhik Municipality. It is located in the Upper Thracian Plain and in the Pazardzhik-Plovdiv Field, a ...
(1993). The most developed system in terms of route density is in Pleven with 14 trolleybus routes totaling and serving entirely Pleven's inner city public transport. The largest system is in Sofia: . In the late 1980s the towns of Dimitrovgrad and
Gorna Oryahovitsa Gorna Oryahovitsa ( ) is a town in northern Bulgaria, situated in Veliko Tarnovo Province, from Veliko Tarnovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Gorna Oryahovitsa Municipality. According to the 2021 Census, the town has a pop ...
started to build networks, but due to financial problems the projects were suspended. A few other cities like
Shumen Shumen (, also Romanization of Bulgarian, romanized as ''Shoumen'' or ''Šumen'', ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, tenth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and economic capital of Shumen Province. Etymology The city ...
,
Blagoevgrad Blagoevgrad ( ) is List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, а town in Southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Municipality and of Blagoevgrad Province. With a population of almost inhabitants, it is the economic and cultura ...
,
Vidin Vidin (, ) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin (since ...
and
Yambol Yambol ( ) is a city in Southeastern Bulgaria and administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha river in the historical region of Thrace. It is occasionally spelled ''Jambol''. Yambol is the administrative cente ...
have partially completed their systems however they were never operational.
Kazanlak Kazanlak ( , known as Seuthopolis () in ancient times, is a List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, town in Stara Zagora Province, Bulgaria. It is located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan Mountains, Balkan mo ...
's system, which opened in 1986 was the first to close in 1999. Trolleybuses in
Veliko Tarnovo Veliko Tarnovo (, ; "Great Tarnovo") is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. It is the historical and spiritual capital of Bulgaria. Often referred to as the "''City of the Tsars''", Velik ...
operated from 1991 until 2009 when due to road construction works part of the overhead wires were temporarily removed, but subsequently never restored causing the system to shut down. In
Plovdiv Plovdiv (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, second-largest city in Bulgaria, 144 km (93 miles) southeast of the capital Sofia. It had a population of 490,983 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is a cultural hub ...
the trolleybus system, which opened in 1956 was shut down in 2012 after the contract with the private company who was in charge to operate the trolleybus network was cancelled due to inability to provide adequate coverage for all lines. The trolleybus system of
Gabrovo Gabrovo ( ) is a city in central northern Bulgaria, the Local government, administrative centre of Gabrovo Province.It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an international ca ...
, inaugurated in 1987, was shut down in 2013 due to road construction works and did not reopen. The trolleybus system of
Dobrich Dobrich ( ; ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, 9th most populated city in Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Dobrich Province and the capital of the region of Southern Dobrudzha. It is located in the northeastern part of the cou ...
, which had been operational since 1987, was closed in 2014 for financial reasons. In
Pernik Pernik ( ) is List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, a town in western Bulgaria (about south-west of Sofia) with a population of 70,285 . Pernik is the most populated town in western Bulgaria after Sofia. It is the main town of Pernik Province an ...
the trolleybus system operated from 1987 until 2015 when it was closed down after the municipal transport operator went bankrupt.


Croatia

No trolleybuses have operated in Croatia since 1972, but two cities once were served by the mode:
Rijeka Rijeka (; Fiume ( fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...
and
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...
.


Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has 14 trolleybus systems, in towns both large and small, and in the past trolleybuses also operated in three other cities. See
List of trolleybus systems This is a list of cities where trolleybuses operate, or operated in the past, as part of the public transport system. The original list has been divided to improve user-friendliness and to reduce article size. Separate lists—separate articles i ...
for details. There also was a line between Ostrov and
Jáchymov Jáchymov (; or ''Joachimsthal'') is a spa town in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,300 inhabitants. Jáchymov has a long mining tradition, thanks to which it used to be the second most popu ...
, taking advantage of steep gradients between these towns, used only for testing trolleybuses made at the
Škoda Škoda means "pity" in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto responsi ...
factory in Ostrov. The line was dismantled in 2006, following the cessation of production in Škoda Ostrov in 2004. Škoda Ostrov was then moved to
Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...
building new spare parts for already operational trolleybuses. But this did not last long and Škoda Ostrov definitely closed in 2008. New Škoda brand trolleybuses are being built in Plzeň from 2004 under the Škoda Electric factory.


Denmark

Trolleybuses were introduced in
Gentofte Gentofte () is a district of Gentofte Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Major landmarks include Gentofte Town Hall, Gentofte Hospital and Gentofte Church. Gentofte Lake with surrounding parkland and nature reserves form ...
(a suburb of
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
) with one line in 1927 – operated by the regional power company, NESA. The network was gradually expanded to connect to the suburbs of
Lyngby Kongens Lyngby (, Danish language, Danish for "the King's Heather Town"; short form Lyngby) is the seat and commercial centre of Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Lyngby Hovedgade is a busy shopping stre ...
and Søborg also. From 1938 to 1963 trolleybuses were operating on the route on Lyngbyvej to Nørreport Station (in downtown Copenhagen). From 1953 onward NESA operated 4 trolleybus lines. In 1963 the two lines to Nørreport Station were converted to operate with diesel buses. NESA replaced the last trolleybus with diesel buses in 1971. The city of
Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...
also got a trolleybus line in 1939. In 1959 this line was converted to operate with diesel buses.


Estonia

Trolleybuses are in use in
Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...
. The first trolleybus route opened on 6 July 1965. At its peak, the system had nine routes,Murray (2000), p. 65. currently the city of Tallinn is gradually substituting trolleybuses with hybrid drive buses. By 3 May 2017 only four lines remain in service, the overhead wires have been dismantled on lines that have been closed. Some old Skoda 14Tr and 15Tr trolleybuses have been replaced with newer low-floor Solaris/Ganz T12 and T18 articulated models.


Finland

Tampere Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...
and
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
have had trolleybus systems in the past. In Tampere, trolleybus operations began in 1948 and ended in 1976. At the system's maximum extent seven trolleybus lines operated. Two trolleybuses have been preserved, in the collection of ''Tampereen kaupungin liikennelaitos''. In Helsinki a single trolleybus line was operated, 1949–1974. An attempt to restore trolleybus operation in Helsinki was made in the late 1970s and resulted in the acquisition of a prototype trolleybus which was used between 1979 and 1985. Three Helsinki trolleybuses have been preserved. Of these, number 605 is on display at the Helsinki Tram Museum. Helsinki is considering restoring trolleybus services.


France

Trolleybuses are used in
Limoges Limoges ( , , ; , locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region. Situated o ...
,
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, Nancy and
Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...
, which have expanded their use. Preserved trolleybuses are at the ''Musée des Transports'' (AMTUIR) in Colombes.


Germany

Trolleybuses operate in
Eberswalde Eberswalde () is a major town and the administrative seat of the district Barnim in Brandenburg in north-eastern Germany, about northeast of Berlin. Population 42,144 (census in June 2005). The town is often called Waldstadt (forest town), beca ...
(near Berlin), Esslingen (near Stuttgart) and
Solingen Solingen (; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 25 km east of Düsseldorf along the northern edge of the Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr. After Wuppertal, it is the second-largest city in the Bergisches Land, and a member of ...
(near Düsseldorf). There were over 60 trolleybus systems in the late 1950s, many having replaced under-used tram services.


Greece

Twenty trolleybus lines serve
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
, especially the municipalities of Athens,
Piraeus Piraeus ( ; ; , Ancient: , Katharevousa: ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens city centre along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf in the Ath ...
,
Kallithea Kallithea (Greek language, Greek: Καλλιθέα, meaning "beautiful view") is a suburb in Athens#Athens Urban Area, Athens agglomeration and a municipality in South Athens (regional unit), south Athens regional unit. It is the eighth larges ...
,
Chalandri Chalandri (, Ancient Greek: Φλύα, ''Phlya'', also ''Halandri'', ''Khalandri'') is a town and a suburb in the northern part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece. It is a municipality of the Attica region. Geography Chalandri is a suburb in No ...
and also other municipalities. The trolleybus network, is one of the largest in Europe,Webb, Mary (ed.) (2009). ''Jane's Urban Transport Systems 2009–2010''. Coulsdon, Surrey (UK):
Jane's Information Group Janes is a global open-source intelligence company specialising in military, national security, aerospace and transport topics, whose name derives from British author Fred T. Jane. History Jane's Information Group was founded in 1898 by Fred T. ...
. .
with 354 trolleybuses. It was formerly operated by IEM, later by
ILPAP I.L.P.A.P. () was a public Greek company, part of the Athens Urban Transport Organisation, responsible for the operation of the trolleybuses network. ILPAP was founded on December 14, 1970, and since 1998 the company was owned by the Athens Urba ...
and now OSY S.A., subsidiary of OASA S.A. (Athens Urban Transport Organisation). The entire fleet was replaced with new
Neoplan Neoplan Bus GmbH is a German automotive company that manufactures buses, trolleybuses and coaches. It became a subsidiary of MAN Truck & Bus SE in 2001. History Early days The company was founded by (1903–1993) in Stuttgart in 19 ...
and
Van Hool Van Hool NV () was a Belgium, Belgian coachbuilder and manufacturer of buses, Coach (bus), coaches, trolleybuses, and Semi-trailer, trailers. Most of the buses and coaches were built entirely by Van Hool, with engines and axles sourced from C ...
low-floor trolleybuses from 1999 to 2004.


Hungary

Trolleybuses are used in
Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
,
Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...
and
Debrecen Debrecen ( ; ; ; ) is Hungary's cities of Hungary, second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain Regions of Hungary, region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the large ...
. In Budapest the fleet is operated by Budapesti Közlekedési Vállalat Zrt.


Italy

Trolleybuses are in use in
Ancona Ancona (, also ; ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region of central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona, homonymous province and of the region. The city is located northeast of Ro ...
,
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
,
Cagliari Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...
,
Chieti Chieti (, ; , , ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Southern Italy, east of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti, in the Abruzzo, Abruzzo region. In Italian, the adjectival form is ''teatino'' and inhabitants of Chieti ar ...
,
Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
,
La Spezia La Spezia (, or ; ; , in the local ) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second-largest city in the Liguria ...
,
Lecce Lecce (; ) is a city in southern Italy and capital of the province of Lecce. It is on the Salentine Peninsula, at the heel of the Italian Peninsula, and is over two thousand years old. Because of its rich Baroque architecture, Lecce is n ...
, Milan,
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
,
Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
,
Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
,
Rimini Rimini ( , ; or ; ) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. Sprawling along the Adriatic Sea, Rimini is situated at a strategically-important north-south passage along the coast at the southern tip of the Po Valley. It is ...
, and Rome. The oldest existing system is the Milan system, which opened in October 1933 and is now the fifth-oldest trolleybus system in the world (and the second-oldest in Europe, after that of
Lausanne Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...
).''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 343 (January–February 2019), p. 30. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . The largest systems are that of Milan (about 170 vehicles, serving four routes) and
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
(95 vehicles, five routes). The system in Lecce is relatively new, having opened in January 2012.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 302 (March–April 2012), p. 43. Even more recently, a new system in Avellino opened in April 2023, and other new systems are under construction in
Pescara Pescara (; ; ) is the capital city of the province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo Regions of Italy, region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 118,657 (January 1, 2023) residents (and approximately 350,000 including the surround ...
(due to open in 2025)''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 377 (September–October 2024), p. 209. National Trolleybus Association (UK). and
Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...
.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 328 (July–August 2016), p. 118.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 370 (July–August 2023), p. 167.


Latvia

Trolleybuses have been used in
Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
since 1947. Currently there are 264 trolleybuses operated on 19 routes by
Rīgas Satiksme Rīgas Satiksme is a municipally-owned public transportation and infrastructure company serving Riga, Latvia and the surrounding areas. It was founded on 20 February 2003 as an umbrella organisation for the respective operators of trams, buses an ...
.


Lithuania

Trolleybuses have been used in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
since 1956 (18 routes) and
Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
(14 routes) since 1965.


Moldova

Trolleybuses are used in
Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ; formerly known as Kishinev) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Moldova, largest city of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre, and is located in the middle of the coun ...
(1949), currently 340 trolleybuses serving 30 routes,
Bălți Bălți () is a city in Moldova. It is the second-largest city in terms of population, area and economic importance, after Chișinău. The city holds the status of municipiu. Sometimes called "the northern capital", it is a major industrial, cu ...
(1972),
Tighina Bender (, ) or Bendery (, ; ), also known as Tighina ( mo-Cyrl, Тигина, links=no), is a city within the internationally recognized borders of Moldova under ''de facto'' control of the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Transn ...
(1993) and
Tiraspol Tiraspol (, ; also /; , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Transnistria, a breakaway state of Moldova, where it is the third-largest city. The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River. Tiraspol is a regional hub of cul ...
(1967). Trolleybuses, along with rutierele, are the most used mode of public transport in Chișinău.


Netherlands

Trolleybuses have been in use in
Arnhem Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...
since 1949. Past trolleybus systems were located in
Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...
(1927–65) and
Nijmegen Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...
(1952–69).


Norway

In
Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...
, Norway, trolleybuses have been in use since 1950. In 1909,
Drammen Drammen () is a city and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and villages such ...
had the first trolleybus system in Scandinavia, running until 1967, and trolleybuses also served
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
and
Stavanger Stavanger, officially the Stavanger Municipality, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the third largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the ...
from the 1940s until the 1960s.


Poland

The first trolleybus network in Poland opened in
Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...
in 1930. There were 7 municipals systems operational after
World War Two World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilisi ...
, partially inherited after the Germans; the trolleybus transportation reached its climax in the early 1960s, with some 130 vehicles in Warsaw alone. Most systems were closed in the 1970s. Currently there are 3 networks in service, in
Gdynia Gdynia is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With an estimated population of 257,000, it is the List of cities in Poland, 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in the Pomeranian Voivodeship after Gdańsk ...
,
Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...
and
Tychy Tychy (Polish pronunciation: ; ) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, approximately south of Katowice. Situated on the southern edge of the Upper Silesian industrial district, the city borders Katowice to the north, Mikołów to the west, Bie ...
. The total number of vehicles operational is about 260.


Portugal

Trolleybuses are currently operated only in
Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ), officially the City of Coimbra (), is a city and a concelho, municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2021 census was 140,796, in an area of . The fourth-largest agglomerated urban area in Po ...
, where the system is managed by a municipal authority, SMTUC. Two other cities used trolleybuses in the past:
Braga Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...
was served by trolleybuses from 1963 to 1979. In
Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
,
Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto STCP (Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto, E.I.M., S.A., lit. ''Porto Public Transport Society'') is the public transport company that runs the bus and tram service in Greater Porto, Portugal. Created in 1946, it took over the Porto tr ...
operated several trolleybus routes from 1959 to 1997 and has preserved some of its historic vehicles. Unusually, the Porto fleet included double-deck trolleybuses.


Romania

In addition to
Cernăuți Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also #Names, other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivt ...
(1939) and
Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...
(1942), where the first trolleybus systems in Romania opened, and
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
(1949), where around 300 vehicles served 19 routes as of early 2009, the larger trolleybus systems opened in 1959 under Soviet influence:
Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...
(shrunk considerably in the 2000s),
Cluj Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...
(1959), Constanta (1959; shrunk considerably in the 2000s; closed 2010).
Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...
's system (1942) was built with Italian equipment and vehicles. Most smaller systems were opened through a government program in the 1980s and 1990s, although only about half survive:
Sibiu Sibiu ( , , , Hungarian: ''Nagyszeben'', , Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'' or ''Hermestatt'') is a city in central Romania, situated in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles th ...
(1983; closed 2009),
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...
(1985; closed 2006),
Suceava Suceava () is a Municipiu, city in northeastern Romania. The seat of Suceava County, it is situated in the Historical regions of Romania, historical regions of Bukovina and Western Moldavia, Moldavia, northeastern Romania. It is the largest urban ...
(1987; closed 2006),
Brăila Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The Sud-Est (development region), ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila. According to the 2021 Romanian ...
(1989; closed 1999),
Galați Galați ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the river Danube. and the sixth-larges ...
(1989),
Mediaș Mediaș (; , , Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Medwesch''/''Medveš''/''Medwisch'', ) is the second largest municipiu, town and municipality in Sibiu County, Transylvania, central Romania. Geography Mediaș is located in ...
(1989),
Satu Mare Satu Mare (; ; ; or ) is a city with a population of 102,400 (2011). It is the capital of Satu Mare County, Romania, as well as the centre of the Satu Mare metropolitan area. It lies in the region of Maramureș, broadly part of Transylvania ...
(1994; closed 2005),
Vaslui Vaslui (), a city in eastern Romania, is the seat of Vaslui County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. The city administers five villages: Bahnari, Brodoc, Moara Grecilor, Rediu, and Viișoara. History Archaeological surveys indicate t ...
(1994; suspended in 2009 for modernization; reopened in August 2023),
Piatra Neamț Piatra Neamț (; ; ) is the capital city of Neamț County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in northeastern Romania. Because of its very privileged location in the Divisions of the Carpathians, Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is con ...
(1995; closed 2019),
Târgu Jiu Târgu Jiu (, is the capital city, capital of Gorj County in the Oltenia region of Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathian Mountains, Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu (river), Jiu. Eight localities are administered by the ...
(1995),
Târgoviște Târgoviște (, alternatively spelled ''Tîrgoviște'') is a Municipiu, city and county seat in Dâmbovița County, Romania. It is situated north-west of Bucharest, on the right bank of the Ialomița (river), Ialomița River. Târgoviște was ...
(1995; closed 2005),
Baia Mare Baia Mare ( , ; ; ; ) is a Municipiu, city along the Săsar, Săsar River, in northwestern Romania; it is the capital of Maramureș County. The city lies in the region of Maramureș, a subregion of Transylvania. It is situated about from Buchare ...
(1996), Slatina (1996; closed 2006),
Ploiești Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a Municipiu, city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest. The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Ble ...
(1997).


Russia

Trolleybus systems operate in 85 cities. In
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
and
Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət, t=Lower Newtown; colloquially shortened to Nizhny) is a city and the administrative centre of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast an ...
museum trolleybuses may be hired for city excursions and parties.


Serbia

There are eight trolleybus routes in
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
. Three of them are variations of the original line established shortly after World War II with Russian-made vehicles, with the same terminus in the heart of old downtown next to the
Kalemegdan The Kalemegdan Park (), or simply Kalemegdan ( sr-Cyrl, Калемегдан) is the largest park and the most important historical monument in Belgrade. It is located on a cliff, at the junction of the River Sava and the Danube. Kalemegdan Pa ...
fortress. Another is a completely independent line built perpendicular to the other three in the early 1980s. The fleet had 154 operable trolleybuses as of December 2005. The Belgrade University Faculty of Traffic proposed introduction of trolleybusses to the western suburbs, many of which are hilly. The extensions are to open as a part of Phase 3 of public transport reorganization, by 2020.


Slovakia

The first trolleybus system connected Poprad with Starý Smokovec from 1904 to 1906. The second trolleybus system was built in 1909 in
Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
, but served only until 1915. The route led to the hilly recreational area of Železná studienka and the trolleybuses' motors were fed by a four-wheel bogie running on top of the wires and connected to the vehicle by a cable. Trolleybuses in Bratislava were reintroduced in 1941, with standard trolley poles. In 1962 trolleybuses were introduced in
Prešov Prešov () is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is the seat of administrative Prešov Region () and Šariš. With a population of approximately 85,000 for the city, and in total more than 100,000 with the urban area, it is the second-largest city i ...
.
Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica (, also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Greater Fatra, Veľká Fatra, and t ...
introduced trolleybuses in 1989,
Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
in 1993 and
Žilina Žilina (; ; ; ; Names of European cities in different languages: U-Z#Z, names in other languages) is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the List of cities ...
in 1994. All trolleybuses were made by
Škoda Škoda means "pity" in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto responsi ...
. As of 2021, trolleybuses operate in Banská Bystrica, Bratislava, Prešov and Žilina. Since 2015, trolleybuses no longer operate in Košice.


Slovenia

The first trolleybus line in the
Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
opened to the public on 24 October 1909 in the coastal town of
Piran Piran (; ) is a town in southwestern Slovenia on the Gulf of Piran on the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the three major towns of Slovenian Istria. A bilingual city, with population speaking both Slovene and Italian, Piran is known for its medieva ...
, then part of
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
. It ran from the Tartini Square, the central square of the town, along the coast and the shipyard to
Portorož Portorož (; ) is a Slovenian Adriatic seaside resort and spa settlement located in the Municipality of Piran in southwestern Slovenia. Its modern development began in the late 19th century with the vogue for the first health resorts. In the earl ...
and Lucija. The town authorities bought five trolleybuses manufactured by the Austrian company
Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (abbreviated as DMG, also known as Daimler Motors Corporation) was a German engineering company and later automobile manufacturer, in operation from 1890 until 1926. Founded by Gottlieb Daimler (1834–1900) and Wil ...
. In August 1912, it was replaced by the town's tram system on the same route. From 1951 until 1971, trolleybuses served
Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...
, the capital of the then
Socialist Republic of Slovenia The Socialist Republic of Slovenia (, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Slovenija, Социјалистичка Република Словенија), commonly referred to as Socialist Slovenia or simply Slovenia, was one ...
, until 1958 alongside the tram. There were five trolleybus lines in Ljubljana.


Spain

Trolleybuses are currently in use only in
Castellón de la Plana Castellón de la Plana (in ), or simply Castellón (), is the capital city of the province of Castellón, in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is located in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Azahar by the Mediterranean Sea. Th ...
, where a new system opened on 25 June 2008;Haseldine, Peter. "Trolleybuses Return to Spain". ''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 281 (September–October 2008), p. 98. trolleybuses had previously served the town from 1963 to 1969. The Irisbus Civis vehicles are optically guided and are capable of switching to diesel power for turning in front of the Parque Ribalto. Earlier, at least 12 trolleybus systems existed in Spain; see
list A list is a Set (mathematics), set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of t ...
. While most were urban systems, there were also some interurban lines, including a 33-km route from
A Coruña A Coruña (; ; also informally called just Coruña; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality in Galicia, Spain. It is Galicia's second largest city, behind Vigo. The city is the provincial capital of the province ...
to Carballo and a 12-km route from
Tarragona Tarragona (, ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in Catalonia (Spain). It is the capital and largest town of Tarragonès county, the Camp de Tarragona region and the province of Tarragona. Geographically, it is located on the Costa Daurada ar ...
to Reus. Until the opening of the second Castellón system, in 2008, the last Spanish system to operate had been the one in
Pontevedra Pontevedra (, ) is a city in the autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, in northwestern Spain. It is the capital of both the ''Pontevedra (comarca), Comarca'' and Province of Pontevedra, and the capital of the Rías Baixas. It is als ...
, which closed in 1989. In the 1960s and 1970s, more than 100 secondhand London double-deck trolleybuses operated on various Spanish systems.Patton, Brian (2004). ''Double-Deck Trolleybuses of the World, beyond the British Isles'', p. 80. Sutherland (UK): Adam Gordon. .


Sweden

In
Landskrona Landskrona is a town in Scania, Sweden. Located on the shores of the Öresund, it occupies a natural port, which has lent the town at first military and subsequent commercial significance. Ferries operate from Landskrona to the island of Ven, an ...
, a single trolleybus route connects the railway station with the city centre and the wharf area. The system opened in 2003 and initially employed just three trolleybuses, making it one of the world's smallest systems; by September 2013, the fleet had been expanded to five trolleybuses. Forty years earlier, trolleybus systems existed in
Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
and
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, the latter a large system with 12 routes.


Switzerland

Trolleybuses are in use in cities including
Lausanne Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...
(10 lines),
Lucerne Lucerne ( ) or Luzern ()Other languages: ; ; ; . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the Lucerne (district), di ...
(7 lines),
Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
(6 lines),
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
(6 lines),
Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...
(5 lines), St. Gallen (8 lines),
Neuchâtel Neuchâtel (, ; ; ) is a list of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the capital (political), capital of the cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Neuchâtel (canton), Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel ...
(4 lines),
Winterthur Winterthur (; ) is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. With over 120,000 residents, it is the country's List of cities in Switzerland, sixth-largest city by population, as well as its ninth-largest agglomeration with about 14 ...
(4 lines),
Fribourg or is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg and district of Sarine (district), La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, adminis ...
(3 lines),
La Chaux-de-Fonds La Chaux-de-Fonds (; archaic ) is a Swiss city in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura Mountains at an altitude of 992 metres, a few kilometres south of the French border. After Geneva, Lausanne, Biel/Bienne, and Fribourg, ...
(3 lines),
Biel Biel/Bienne (official bilingual wording; German language, German: ''Biel'' ; French language, French: ''Bienne'' ; Bernese German, locally ; ; ; ) is a bilingual city in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. With over 55,000 residents, it is the ...
(2 lines),
Schaffhausen Schaffhausen (; ; ; ; ), historically known in English as Shaffhouse, is a list of towns in Switzerland, town with historic roots, a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in northern Switzerland, and the capital of the canton of Schaffh ...
(1 line),
Vevey Vevey (; ; ) is a town in Switzerland in the Vaud, canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Leman, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the Vevey (district), district of the same name until 200 ...
Montreux Montreux (, ; ; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, Swiss municipality and List of towns in Switzerland, town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Swiss Alps, Alps. It belongs to the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut (district), Riviera-Pays ...
(1 line). The last trolleybus ran in
Lugano Lugano ( , , ; ) is a city and municipality within the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland. Lugano has a population () of , and an u ...
in June 2001, and in
Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
, where they have been replaced by
natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
-powered buses, on 30 June 2008. These are the only urban networks that have been closed in Switzerland. Operation of the
La Chaux-de-Fonds La Chaux-de-Fonds (; archaic ) is a Swiss city in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura Mountains at an altitude of 992 metres, a few kilometres south of the French border. After Geneva, Lausanne, Biel/Bienne, and Fribourg, ...
system has been suspended since 2014, but is planned to reopen in 2025 (with new vehicles).''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 378 (November–December 2024), p. 255. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . In Lausanne, the Association RétroBus has preserved several vintage trolleybuses, the oldest example being a 1932 FBW, and in the 2000s operated them periodically on public excursions, especially on summer weekends.


Turkey

* (See: Eurasia/Turkey section) Trolleybuses have operated in four cities in the Asian part of Turkey and one in the European part. See the ''Eurasia'' section of this article, above.


Ukraine

Trolleybus systems run in more than 40 cities, including the interurban
Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
n network connecting
Simferopol Simferopol ( ), also known as Aqmescit, is the second-largest city on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula. The city, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, but controlled by Russia. It is considered the cap ...
with
Alushta Alushta (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and Russian language, Russian: ; ; ) is a city of regional significance on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula which is within the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a region internationally recognised as ...
and
Yalta Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...
on the coast. The Crimean Trolleybus, Crimean trolleybus network includes the longest trolleybus route in the world, the 86-km (54 mi.) route from Yalta to Simferopol.


United Kingdom

No trolleybus systems are in operation. A new Trolleybuses in Leeds, Leeds trolleybus system was given preliminary government approval and funding in March 2010, but cancelled in 2016. In the past, more than 50 systems existed and a large number of trolleybuses have been preserved at British museums. The last trolleybuses in Britain ran in Bradford in 1972. The world's largest collection of preserved trolleybuses is at The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft in England. Examples are also preserved at the East Anglia Transport Museum and the Black Country Living Museum in England.


North America


Canada

Vancouver is currently the only Canadian city operating trolleybuses. Edmonton was the most recent city to abandon its trolleybus network, ending service in May 2009, despite opposition from local citizens. In Vancouver, TransLink (British Columbia), TransLink operates a fleet of 262 vehicles,"Vancouver Update". ''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 294 (November–December 2010), p. 131. locally known as Trolleybuses in Vancouver, "trolleys". The city's aging trolley fleet was replaced in 2006–2009 with new low-floor models built in Canada by New Flyer, including 74 articulated units. The trolleys are valued in the Vancouver transit network for their "greener" energy usage and emissions (relying on hydro-electric power), quieter operation over diesels and the high-torque electric motors are well-suited to hilly areas of the city. Several other Canadian cities have operated trolleybus systems in the past. In Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, where they were referred to as "trolley coaches", they were used from 1951 until the end of 1992. Toronto initially had an experimental fleet of four trolleybuses from 1922 through 1927, but later maintained a fleet of about 150 vehicles from 1947 through 1992. Another 40 trolleybuses leased from Edmonton continued operation in Toronto until the lease expired, in July 1993, and the buses were returned to Edmonton a few months later. Montreal was served by trolleybuses from 1937 until 1966. Most of Canada's other trolleybus systems were abandoned during the 1960s and 1970s; the last two to disappear at that time (Saskatoon and Calgary) closed down in 1974 and 1975, respectively. In 2009–2011, proposals to construct new trolleybus systems in Laval, Quebec (within the Greater Montreal area) and in the city of Montréal proper were studied, but ultimately the proposed systems did not come to fruition. The Transit Museum Society, in Vancouver, has preserved at least five trolleybuses retired from service on that city's trolleybus system, and some are maintained in running condition for occasional operation on the system, in cooperation with the transit agency, TransLink (British Columbia), TransLink. Several trolleybuses from the former Edmonton system have also been preserved in that city.


Mexico

Servicio de Transportes Eléctricos, Servicio de Transportes Eléctricos (STE) of Mexico City is one of the largest systems in North America. In the 1960s and 1970s STE acquired trolleybuses withdrawn from service in many Canadian and U.S. cities, including Montreal, Winnipeg, Cleveland, Dallas, Indianapolis, Johnstown, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Shreveport and San Francisco, and placed them in service in Mexico City, following these later with a similar acquisition of 37 New Flyer Industries, Flyers from Edmonton in 1987. Since 1981 more than 700 trolleybuses have been purchased from MASA (company), Mexicana de Autobuses S.A. (MASA), fitted with electrical equipment by various suppliers (including Hitachi, Toshiba, Kiepe and Mitsubishi) for batches of vehicles ordered at different times. The size of the fleet in 2008 was around 400. More recently, the system's first low-floor trolleybuses entered service.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 349 (January–February 2020), pp. 28, 30, 32. National Trolleybus Association (UK). Sixty-three new two-axle trolleybuses built in China by Yutong entered service in late 2019 and early 2020,''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 350 (March–April 2020), p. 70. National Trolleybus Association (UK). and in 2020 STE placed orders for an additional 80 two-axle and 50
articulated An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent coupling in its construction. This coupling works as a large pivot joint, allowing it to bend and turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buse ...
Yutong trolleybuses.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 352 (July–August 2020), p. 150. National Trolleybus Association (UK). Guadalajara opened Trolleybuses in Guadalajara, a trolleybus system in 1976 using ex-Chicago Marmon-Herrington trolleybuses dating from 1951–52. New MASA trolleybuses were added to the fleet over the period 1982–85, and the last Marmons were withdrawn in January 1993.Morgan, S. J. "Better Times Ahead in Mexico", parts 1 and 2. ''Trolleybus Magazine'' Nos. 208 (July–August 1996) and 209 (September–October 1996). In 2015, a series of 25 low-floor trolleybuses built by DINA S.A., DINA (of Mexico) and Škoda Transportation, Škoda (of the Czech Republic) replaced the previous fleet.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 327 (May–June 2016), p. 92. National Trolleybus Association (UK).


United States

Since the opening of the first system – a relatively short-lived one opened in 1910 in Los Angeles – approximately 65 cities in the United States have been served by trolleybuses, in some instances by two or more independent systems operated by different private companies. Trolleybus systems are currently in operation in four U.S. metropolitan areas: *Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, operated by Philadelphia Light Rail, SEPTA; see Trolleybuses in Philadelphia. *San Francisco, California, operated by San Francisco Municipal Railway, San Francisco Muni; see Trolleybuses in San Francisco. *Seattle, Washington, operated by King County Metro#Trolleys, King County Metro; see Trolleybuses in Seattle. *Dayton, Ohio, operated by Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority; see Trolleybuses in Dayton.


Preservation

*The Illinois Railway Museum in Union maintains an historical collection of 20 trolleybuses from Chicago, Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, Cleveland, Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines, Vancouver, British Columbia, Vancouver, Toronto, Seattle, San Francisco, Edmonton and Milwaukee. Several of the preserved coaches are operable and periodically provide rides for visitors over the museum's 0.6-mile (1 km) demonstration line, such service usually being scheduled on the first Saturday of June, July, September and October each year. *There are 18 historic trolleybuses in the collection of the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine: 15 from U.S. systems, two from Canada and one from Switzerland (plus one matching passenger trailer from Switzerland). Some are only on display or stored, but seven are in operating condition, and the museum has an approximately quarter-mile trolleybus line, on which operation takes place on about two or three weekends each year. *In Seattle, transit authority King County Metro has preserved several historic trolleybuses and diesel buses that used to serve the city, and adds more to its collection as additional types are withdrawn from use on the Metro transit system. Volunteers from a group of current and retired employees of the agency, the Metro Employees Historic Vehicle Association (MEHVA), formed in 1981, restore and maintain the vehicles and operate them on public excursions a few times each year. As of 2009, the historic-vehicle fleet includes six trolleybuses, of which one is also a dual-mode bus. *San Francisco Municipal Railway, San Francisco Muni has a collection of six historic trolleybuses, including two New Flyer, Flyer E800s of mid-1970s vintage in operating condition, one 1950 Marmon-Herrington in operating condition, and three older vehicles which are not in running condition. *A number of other museums in the United States have trolleybuses on static display only.


Oceania


Australia

Australia has no remaining trolleybus systems, but such systems existed in Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Launceston, Tasmania, Launceston, Perth, Western Australia, Perth and Sydney. Trolleybuses are preserved in the Brisbane Tramway Museum, Sydney Tramway Museum, Powerhouse Museum (Sydney), the Tramway Museum, St Kilda (Adelaide), the Perth Electric Tramway Museum and the Bus Preservation Society of Western Australia, and at the Tasmanian Transport Museum in Hobart. Some of these historic trolleybuses are in operating condition, but there are no wired roadways on which to operate them.


New Zealand

No trolleybus systems remain, but trolleybuses at one time served Trolleybuses in Auckland, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, New Plymouth#Transport, New Plymouth, and Wellington. By 1982, only the Trolleybuses in Wellington, Wellington system remained, and it was the last public trolleybus system in all of Australasia. Its final operator, GO Wellington, operated 61 Designline trolleybuses on nine suburban routes south, east and west of the city centre, until the system's closure in October 2017. The closure of the Wellington network came under heavy criticism from Wellington residents, local politicians, and international transport experts, as it gained the unwanted notoriety of being the only zero-emissions public transport system shut down after its home country signed the Paris Agreement, Paris climate accord. In addition to systems providing public transport, a small privately owned museum-type trolleybus operation existed in Foxton, New Zealand, Foxton, providing excursion-type rides on limited dates using preserved trolleybuses from Auckland, Dunedin and Wellington. Opened in December 1988, it was the world's first museum trolleybus line to use public streets. An extension built in 1993 came into regular use in 1995, making the line almost 1 km long in each direction. Following the death of its founder in 2008 and his son in 2012, the condition of the wiring and vehicles began to deteriorate. Operation ended in 2016 and the remaining overhead wires were removed in 2023. Preserved trolleybuses still operate at Ferrymead Heritage Park in Christchurch. The Ferrymead collection has trolleybuses from every New Zealand city that operated trolleybuses.


South America


Argentina

Trolleybuses are currently in use in Rosario, Santa Fe, Rosario and Córdoba, Argentina, Córdoba, on systems that opened in 1959 and 1989, respectively. Rosario has 20 Volvo units made in Brazil and 12 low-floor Trolza trolleybuses, and Córdoba uses seven Trolzas, some 30 ZIUs and a single Belkommunmash (BKM) demonstrator. The capital of Mendoza Province, Mendoza province had the first trolleybus operation in Latin America and one of the first in the world. South American Railless Traction Co., organized in London in 1912, planned to cover the continent with trolleybus lines and built an experimental route in Mendoza in 1913. (It was the only line that it built.) It closed in 1915.Morrison, Allen (November 1999)
Trolleybus Pioneers in Latin America
Retrieved 2011-03-22.
A second Trolleybuses in Mendoza, trolleybus system in Mendoza was opened in 1958 and lasted until early 2021. In its last years it used ex-Trolleybuses in Vancouver, Vancouver Flyers (until 2017) and 12 Materfer low-floor units. In 1948, the Buenos Aires city transport authority purchased 120 trolleybuses from Westram, later in 1952 the Argentine government imported 700 new trolleybuses from Germany (350 Mercedes-Benz buses, Mercedes-Benz, 175 Henschel & Son, Henschel and 175 from Maschinenfabrik Esslingen, Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg). Most of the vehicles ran in the capital, Buenos Aires, but about 110 were sent to provincial cities: Bahía Blanca, La Plata, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Mar del Plata and Rosario. Later, Rosario and Mendoza bought new ones from Fiat and Toshiba.


Brazil

Trolleybuses are currently in use only in Trolleybuses in São Paulo, São Paulo and Santos (São Paulo), Santos. In São Paulo (city), there are two separate trolleybus systems, operated or regulated by two different public agencies: SPTrans, in the central and eastern areas, and Empresa Metropolitana de Transportes Urbanos de São Paulo, EMTU, in the southeastern suburbs and the cities of Santo André, São Paulo, Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo, Mauá and Diadema, São Paulo, Diadema. The trolleybus system of SPTrans (formerly CMTC), which opened in 1949, is the oldest surviving trolleybus system in Latin America and also the largest system in South America.Morrison, Allen (2011)
The Trolleybuses of Latin America in 2011
Retrieved 2011-03-25.
In the past, trolleybus systems existed in eleven other Brazilian cities; see List of trolleybus systems in Brazil, list. Two trolleybuses are preserved and exhibited at the SPTrans (São Paulo Transportation Authority) Museum at Gaetano Ferrola. Another five trolleybuses built by CMTC (SPTrans' predecessor, until 1995) and Villares between 1958 and 1965 are awaiting restoration in the SPTrans garage at Santa Rita. An ex-Denver trolleybus built in the United States by J. G. Brill Company, ACF-Brill in 1948 was restored in 1999 and operates during special celebrations, such as the city's 454th anniversary celebration on 25 January 2008.


Chile

Valparaíso, one of the largest cities of Chile, has the only trolleybus service currently, and it is managed by a private company, Trolebuses de Chile S.A. (formerly Empresa de Transportes Colectivos Eléctricos). Its two routes are numbered 801 and 802 in the regional transport scheme and are each about 5 km in length and are identical over about half their length. From the early 1990s and for about 25 years, the fleet comprised a variety of secondhand Swiss vehicles (including some
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) along with old American vehicles and a few Chinese units, but by 2017 it comprised a single model of two-axle Swiss trolleybus14–18 ex-Trolleybuses in Lucerne, Lucerne Nutzfahrzeuggesellschaft Arbon & Wetzikon, NAW vehicles built in 1988–89and nine American vehicles.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 344 (March–April 2019), p. 68. National Trolleybus Association (UK). The latter, now retired, were Pullman Company, Pullman-Standards built in 1946–52 and for many years they were the oldest trolleybuses still in service anywhere in the world. They were declared national monuments in 2003. The company has faced fierce competition from bus operators, and has come close to bankruptcy a few times, but many Valparaíso inhabitants feel an emotional link to the service, and vigorously defend the trolleybuses. During one such crisis in May 2007, even the country's president, Michelle Bachelet, expressed support for keeping the historic system running. In October 2007, the Chilean government's National Monuments Council (Chile), National Monuments Council extended the national monument status to include also the system's operations infrastructure (overhead wires, support poles and substations).Expansion of national monument declaration
for Valparaíso's trolleybus system to cover the "associated assets" (fixed infrastructure). National Monuments Council (Chile), ''Consejos de Monumentos Nacionales'' (Council of National Monuments). 2007. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
By the 2020s, the few remaining active examples of the city's historic Pullman trolleybuses began to become surplus to the company's needs, as the last of the NAW trolleybuses entered service and the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors caused patronage to decline. The last active Pullman trolleybus was withdrawn in March 2023.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 372 (November–December 2023), p. 248. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . Trolleybuses operated in Santiago de Chile, Santiago from 1947–1978 and 1991–1994.Morrison, Allen (October 2006)
The Trolleybuses of Santiago, Chile
(detailed history). Retrieved 2011-03-22.


Colombia

Trolleybuses systems were operated in Medellín from 1929 to 1951 and in Bogotá (where the service was managed by the local government) from 1948 until 1991. Russian-built Trolza, ZIU and Romanian-built Rocar DAC, DAC trolleybuses comprised the entire fleet in the system's last several years of operation.


Ecuador

A distinctive and heavily used trolleybus system opened in Quito in stages in 1995–96.Morrison, Allen. "Railless Rapid Transit in Ecuador". ''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 208 (July–August 1996), pp. 86–89. The single-corridor Trolleybuses in Quito, Quito trolleybus system, named "El Trole", is a high-capacity design, featuring dedicated trolleybus-only lanes over almost its entire length and with boarding taking place exclusively at high-platform stations, through all three vehicle doorways simultaneously, akin to modern-day light rail, light-rail transit systems.Webb, Mary (ed.) (2003). ''Jane's Urban Transport Systems 2003–2004'', pp. 87–88.
Jane's Information Group Janes is a global open-source intelligence company specialising in military, national security, aerospace and transport topics, whose name derives from British author Fred T. Jane. History Jane's Information Group was founded in 1898 by Fred T. ...
. .
The initial fleet of 54
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trolleybuses was expanded to 113 vehicles in 1999–2000. The headway is as short as 90 seconds in peak periods, and average daily patronage exceeds 250,000 passengers. Extensions to the route were opened in 2000 and 2008, and it is now in length. Five different overlapping trolleybus services are operated along the corridor. The system inspired the design of a new trolleybus system in Trolleybuses in Mérida, Mérida, Venezuela, the first stage of which opened in 2007.


Peru

A small trolleybus system operated in Lima from 1928 to 1931, using just six vehicles on a single 3.3-km route. The six trolleybuses were rebuilt as trams in 1931, the only known instance of trolleybuses' being converted into trams.


Trinidad and Tobago

Port of Spain was served by a five-route trolleybus system, which opened in 1941 and closed at the end of 1956.


Uruguay

Trolleybuses served the capital, Montevideo, from 1951 until 1992. The fleet originally included 18 British-built British United Traction, BUT vehicles, but Italian-built Alfa Romeo or Fiat trolleybuses were later acquired in much larger numbers and comprised the entire fleet for the system's last several years.


Venezuela

No trolleybus systems exist any more, but trolleybuses have operated in four cities, of which one was a project that only progressed as far as demonstration service before the project was cancelled. A small trolleybus system (using only 11 vehicles) operated in Caracas from 1937 until about 1949, and a short-lived system existed in Valencia, Carabobo, Valencia from 1941 to about 1947.Morrison, Allen (3 December 2007)
The Tramways of Valencia, Venezuela
Retrieved 2023-03-38.
Many years later, a trolleybus system opened in Mérida, Mérida, Mérida in June 2007,''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 275 (September–October 2007), p. 119.Morrison, Allen (5 January 2009)
The Trolleybuses of Mérida, Venezuela
Retrieved 2010-02-05.
but ceased operation in 2016.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 330 (November–December 2016), p. 188. Like the 1995-opened Trolleybuses in Quito, Quito trolleybus system, the new Trolleybuses in Mérida, Mérida system was a Bus rapid transit, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, using dedicated trolleybus-only lanes over the entire length of the route, with Traffic signal preemption, signals giving priority over other traffic, and with all boarding and alighting taking place at enclosed "stations". A fleet of 45 articulated trolleybuses built in Spain by Mercedes-Benz buses, Mercedes-Benz and Hispano Carrocera provided the service. Around June 2015, because of a combination of factors, including electricity rationing and thefts of overhead wiring during periods of civil unrest, diesel buses began to be used on the trolleybus line, and by October 2015 they were providing about half of the service.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 325 (January–February 2016), p. 31. UK: National Trolleybus Association. . Trolleybus operation became sporadic in 2016. By August, it had ceased entirely, and was not expected to resume. A similar new trolleybus BRT system, Transbarca, was planned in Barquisimeto, and was intermittently under construction for several years, but the project's trolleybus component was cancelled in 2013, replaced by non-trolleybus BRT.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 311 (September–October 2013), p. 138. For the planned 22 km route, 80 articulated trolleybuses were purchased from
Neoplan Neoplan Bus GmbH is a German automotive company that manufactures buses, trolleybuses and coaches. It became a subsidiary of MAN Truck & Bus SE in 2001. History Early days The company was founded by (1903–1993) in Stuttgart in 19 ...
, in Germany, and construction of the system began in 2006, but financial and political issues subsequently caused several long suspensions of work. By mid-2010, expenditures on the project had far exceeded the predicted amount and yet the first phase was only 23 percent completed.''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 295 (January–February 2011), p. 23. Although a free demonstration service was introduced in November 2012, serving three stops and operating for only two hours per day, using 10–15 vehicles, it ceased operating within a few months. Ultimately, the planned trolleybus system never opened, the project being cancelled in July 2013 by a new Venezuelan Minister of Transport. In addition to reasons of cost, an inadequate supply of electricity with which to power the system was cited in the announcement of the decision.


See also

* List of trolleybus systems – for all-time lists, by country, of every trolleybus system ever known to have existed


References

{{reflist Trolleybus transport by country,