Trolleybuses in Sofia
| Sofia trolleybus system | |
|---|---|
 Škoda 27Tr Solaris trolleybus in Sofia | |
| Operation | |
| Locale | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Open | 8 February 1941 |
| Status | Open |
| Routes | 10 |
| Owner(s) | Stolichna Municipality |
| Operator(s) | Sofia Electric Transport JSC |
| Infrastructure | |
| Electrification | 600 V DC |
| Depot(s) | 3 |
| Stock | 141 |
| Statistics | |
| Track length (total) | 257 km (160 mi) |
| Route length | 193 km (120 mi) |
| Website | elektrotransportsf |
The Sofia trolleybus system (Bulgarian: Тролейбусен транспорт София) forms part of the public transport network of Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria.
In operation since 8 February 1941, the system presently comprises ten routes with 257 km (160 mi) network build, of which 193 km (120 mi) are currently in use.
As of 2020 the average speed of the trolleybus system in Sofia is 15.7 km/h.[1]
History
Trolleybus transport was the last form of surface public transport to develop in Sofia, after buses and trams. The first Sofia trolleybus line opened on 8 February 1941. It was over 3 km (2 mi) long, and connected the city with the Gorna Banya quarter.[2] The line was covered by 2 MAN trolleybuses, which were stored on the last stops during the night, due to the lack of depot.
In the 1950s and 1960s, massive development of the trolleybus transport in Sofia began. At that time, the construction of new trolleybus routes proceeded especially rapidly, and two depots ("Stochna Gara" and "Nadezhda") were opened, with a total capacity of 160 trolleybuses. In 1951, the first Bulgarian made trolleybuses entered service.[2]
In 1987, a new depot, "Iskar", was opened with a capacity of 130 trolleybuses.[2] Levski depot was opened in 1994 with capacity of 60 trolleybuses. As of 2021 three depots are in operation: Nadezhda, Iskar and Levski. The latter also serves as a storage and overhaul facility.
Lines
As of April 2024, the following trolleybus lines in Sofia are in service:
| Line | Route | Depot |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Levski G Residential District – Fifth City Hospital | Levski |
| 2 | Hadzhi Dimitar Residential District – Buxton Residential District | Iskar |
| 3 | Levski G Residential District – St. Anna Hospital | Iskar |
| 4 | Druzhba 2 Residential District – Hadzhi Dimitar Residential District | Iskar |
| 5 | Mladost 2 Residential District – Nadezhda Overpass | Nadezhda/Iskar |
| 6 | Lyulin 3 Residential District – Stochna gara Square | Nadezhda |
| 7 | Lyulin 3 Residential District – Gotse Delchev Residential District | Nadezhda |
| 8 | Stochna gara Square – Gotse Delchev Residential District | Iskar |
| 9 | Borovo Residential District – Stochna gara Square | Nadezhda |
| 11 | Druzhba 1 Residential District – Stochna gara Square | Iskar |
Trolleybus fleet
Current fleet
As of December 2022, the Sofia trolleybus fleet consisted of 141 trolleybuses, of which around 120 are serviceable.
The following models are currently part of the fleet:
| Quantity | In service | Model | Year built | Fleet numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | Škoda 27Tr Solaris III | 2013-2014 | 1650-1674, 2675-2699 | |
| 30 | 30 | Škoda 27Tr Solaris IV | 2020-2021 | 2801-2830 | |
| 30 | 30 | Škoda 26Tr Solaris III | 2010 | 1603-1632 | |
| 16 | 5 | Ikarus 280.92 | 1985-1988 | 2054, 2115, 2117, 2123, 2614, 2623, 2702-2703, 2711-2712, 2715, 2723, 2909, 2913, 2915, 2922 | Total of 151 units delivered |
| 11 | 1 | Ikarus 280.92F | 2104-2109, 2608-2609, 2617, 2902-2903 | Facelift, modernized 2008-2015 | |
| 3 | 0 | Cobra GD 272 | 2003-2005 | 2002-2004 | Güleryüz bodywork, Romanian electrical equipment, assembled by Tramkar |
| 1 | 0 | Gräf & Stift GЕ 152 M18 | 1986 | 1801 | 8 units delivered 2006 from Innsbruck |
The heritage fleet consists of the following vehicles:
| Model | Year built | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Škoda 9TrHT28 | 1981 | Unrestored | Ex Plovdiv. In private ownership. |
| Škoda 14Tr06 | 1985 | Unrestored | Ex Stara Zagora, née Sofia |
| DAC-Chavdar 317 Etr | 1986 | Unrestored | Ex Pernik. In private ownership. |
| ZiU-682 | 1987 | Restored | Ex Stara Zagora |
Past fleet
| Quantity | Model | Years in service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | MAN MPE 1 | 1941-1956 | |
| 26 | MTB-82 | 1948-1960s | |
| 67 | TB-51 | 1951-1971 | Bulgarian-made version of the Soviet MTB-82 |
| 244 | Skoda 9Tr | 1964-1990 | |
| 12 | MAN/Kässbohrer/Kiepe 610 FEC 1 | 1967-1974 | ex Dortmund |
| 3 | Ikarus 280T | 1980-1984 | Rebuilt from diesel buses with Skoda 9Tr electrical equipment |
| 19 | Gräf & Stift GEO I, GEO II, GE 120 | 1984-1987 | ex Linz |
| 20 | Skoda 14Tr06 | 1985-1987 | Transferred to other Bulgarian towns |
| 70 | ZiU-682 | 1986-2004 | |
| 23 | DAC-Chavdar 317 Etr | 1987-1994 | |
| 1 | Tramkar-Chavdar 130 | 1994-2010 | Prototype |
Depots
- Nadezhda - opened in 1962, located on podpolkovnik Kalitin street, operates lines 5, 6, 7 and 9; houses trolleybuses with fleet numbers starting with 2
- Iskar - opened in 1987, located on Amsterdam street, operates lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 11; houses trolleybuses with fleet numbers starting with 1
- Levski - opened in 1994, located on Bessarabia street, serves as maintenance and overhaul facility and for storage and dismantling of decommissioned vehicles. Since November 2021 also operates line 1.
See also
References
- ^ Sofiaplan (2020). "Sofiaplan Transport Infographic" (PDF). Retrieved 22 March 2021. (in Bulgarian)
- ^ a b c "History of Trolleybus Transport". Urban Mobility Centre, Sofia. Retrieved 10 August 2011. (in English)
External links
- Official website of Sofia Public Electrical Transport Company JSC (in English)
- Images of the Sofia trolleybus system, at railfaneurope.net
- "Trolleybus city: Sofia (Bulgarien)". Trolleymotion.
- Sofia database / photo gallery and Sofia trolleybus list at Urban Electric Transit – in various languages, including English.
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