Trolleybuses in Vilnius

Public transport

Vilnius trolleybus system

A Solaris Trollino 15AC trolleybus in 2006

Operation
Locale| Vilnius, Lithuania
Open| 1956 (1956)
Status| Open
Routes| 17
Operator(s)| Vilniaus viešasis transportas
Infrastructure
Electrification| (?) V DC parallel overhead lines
Statistics
daily| 200,000
Website| http://www.vilniausviesasistransportas.lt/
A Solaris Trollino 12 trolleybus on route 20Škoda 14Tr trolleybus

The Vilnius trolleybus system is the one of two existing trolleybus systems in Lithuania. It operates in the capital city of Vilnius, the municipal operator company is Vilniaus viešasis transportas Ltd. 188 trolleybuses are working on working-days, 106 - on weekends.[1]

## History

[edit]

In October 1956 , Vilnius Trolleybus Board was established and a 7.8 km long contact network was built, together with a trolleybus park for 25 trolleybuses. In November 1956, first model "MTB-82D" trolleybuses started to work and drove on route "Antakalnis–Railway station".

In 1981, the trolleybus count doubled the maximum service power of the old trolleybus park, thus, encouraging a construction of the second park. The second trolleybus park was opened on 28 December 1985, in the neighborhood of Viršuliškės and it could maintain 150 trolleybuses.

In April 1993, the board was reorganized to UAB "Vilniaus Autobusai" and the owner of the new company was the Vilnius city municipality. From the treasury of the municipality, new "Škoda" trolleybuses were bought in 1996–1999.

From 2004 to 2006, 45 new Polish trolleybuses "Solaris Trollino 15AC" were bought.

On 4 November 2011, the company was again reorganized and incorporated into UAB "Vilniaus Viešasis Transportas".[2]

In 2012, new Lithuanian "MAZ-ETON Amber 203T Vilnis 12AC" trolleybuses were made and bought by the company.[3]

In 2018 and 2019, 41 "Solaris Trollino 12" trolleybuses were bought.[4]

In 2023, 91 Škoda 32Tr SOR trolleybuses were bought. These vehicles are set to replace the aging Škoda 14Tr, as some units date back to 1986. The new vehicles are set to be fully air-conditioned and with the addition of onboard traction batteries, the vehicles can travel up to 20 km without the overhead catenary. Later in 2024 or early 2025, Vilnius will place another order for 68 new Tri-axle trolleybuses, which will replace the last of the 14Trs. [5]

## Trolleybuses

[edit]

### Currently used

[edit]

* Škoda 14Tr[6] \- 149 units, since 1984
* Škoda 14TrM[7] \- 23 units, since 1999
* Škoda 15Tr[8] – 3 units, since 1991
* Solaris Trollino II 15AC[9] – 45 units, since 2004
* Amber 203T Vilnis 12AC[10] – 2 units, since 2012
* Solaris Trollino IV 12 Škoda[11] – 41 units, since 2018
* Škoda 32Tr SOR[12] – 20 units + 71 on order, since 2024

### Formerly used

[edit]

* MTB-82D[13] – 63 units, 1956-?
* Škoda 8Tr[14] – 15 units, 1960-?
* Škoda 9Tr[15] \- many units, 1967-2006
* Gräf & Stift GE110[16][17] – 2 units, 1992-1999
* Jelcz PNTKM[18] – 1 unit, 1998-2011
* Škoda 11Tr[19] – 1 unit, 2000
* Belkamunmash AKSM-420 Vitovt[20] – 1 unit, 2010

## Routes

[edit]

No.  | Current Routes[21] | Working Days  | Frequency  | Notes

|
|
|
|

1  | Karoliniškės–Žvėrynas–Stotis  | Monday–Sunday  | 15-25 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
2  | Saulėtekis–Žygimantų g.–Stotis  | Monday–Sunday  | 5-10 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
3  | Karoliniškės–Žvėrynas–Šiaures Miestelis  | Monday–Sunday  | 20-40 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
4  | Antakalnis–Centras–Žemieji Paneriai  | Monday–Friday  | 5-15 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
4 | Antakalnis–Centras–Gerosios VIlties st. | Saturday-Sunday | 10-20 min. | Low-Floor Vehicles
6  | Žirmūnai–Kalvarijų g.–J. Basanavičiaus g.–Žemieji Paneriai  | Monday–Sunday  | 7-15 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
7  | Pašilaičiai–Justiniškės–Žvėrynas–Stotis  | Monday–Sunday  | 3-10 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles, Articulated Vehicles[22]
9  | Karoliniškės–Šeimyniškių g.–Žirmūnai  | Monday–Sunday  | 7-25 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
10  | Saulėtekis–Kalvarijų g.–Naujininkai | Monday–Sunday  | 10-30 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
12  | Žirmūnai–Šeimyniškių g.–J. Basanavičiaus g.–Žemieji Paneriai  | Monday–Sunday  | 10-30 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
15  | Stotis–Žemieji Paneriai–Titnago g.  | Monday–Friday  | 20-90 min.  | Shortened to Žemieji Paneriai during non-peak hours
16  | Pašilaičiai–Lazdynai–Stotis  | Monday–Sunday  | 5-15 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
17  | Žirmūnai–Naujininkai  | Monday–Sunday  | 5-20 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
18  | Pašilaičiai–Justiniškės–Žemieji Paneriai–Titnago g.  | Monday–Sunday  | 15-60 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
19  | Pašilaičiai–Konstitucijos pr.–Antakalnis–Saulėtekis  | Monday–Sunday  | 7-15 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
20  | Žirmūnai–Žygimantų g.–Pylimo g.–Stotis  | Monday–Sunday  | 15-25 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
21  | Saulėtekis–Šilo tiltas–Žirmūnai  | Monday–Saturday  | 25-60 min.  | Daytime only
No.  | Former Routes (Before 1 July 2013)[23] | Working Days  | Frequency  | Notes

|
|
|
|

5  | Žirmūnai–Stotis  | Monday–Sunday  | 10-20 min.  |
8  | Pašilaičiai–Justiniškės–Konstitucijos pr.–Žirmūnai  | Monday–Sunday  | 10-50 min.  |
11  | Antakalnis–Kalvarijų g.–Karoliniškės–Pašilaičiai  | Monday–Sunday  | 10-30 min.  |
13  | Žirmūnai–Šeimyniškių g.–Naugarduko g.  | Monday–Sunday  | 15-60 min.  |
14  | Saulėtekis–Šeimyniškių g.–Centras–J. Basanavičiaus g.–Karoliniškės  | Monday–Sunday  | 20-50 min.  | Low-Floor Vehicles
18A  | Pašilaičiai–Justiniškės–Žemieji Paneriai  | Monday–Friday  | 10-20 min.  | Peak hours only, renamed to route 13

## See also

[edit]

* Buses portal
* Lithuania portal

* List of trolleybus systems

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "About us - UAB "Vilniaus viešasis transportas"". www.vilniausviesasistransportas.lt. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
2. ^ "Įmonės istorija". www.vilniausviesasistransportas.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 28 May 2017.
3. ^ JuliusM. "Lietuviškas troleibusas sostinės gatvėse: nuo gedimų iki grožio :: Inovacijos Lietuvoje". www.technologijos.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 30 December 2020.
4. ^ "Naujienos - UAB "Vilniaus viešasis transportas"". www.vilniausviesasistransportas.lt. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
5. ^ "91 Skoda trolleybuses for Vilnius". Urban Transport Magazine. 15 May 2023.
6. ^ "Vilnius, Trolleybus — Vehicle Statistics". transphoto.org. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
7. ^ "Vilnius, Škoda 14Tr17/6M — List". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
8. ^ "Vilnius, Škoda 15Tr03/6 — List". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
9. ^ "Vilnius, Solaris Trollino II 15 AC — List". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
10. ^ "Vilnius, MAZ-ETON T203 "Amber" — List". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
11. ^ "Vilnius, Solaris Trollino IV 12 Škoda — List". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
12. ^ "Vilnius, Škoda 32Tr SOR — List". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
13. ^ "Vilnius, MTB-82D — List". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
14. ^ "Vilnius, Škoda 8Tr — List". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
15. ^ "Vilnius, Škoda 9Tr — Roster". transphoto.org. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
16. ^ "Vilnius, trolleybus # 133". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
17. ^ "Vilnius, trolleybus # 156". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
18. ^ "Vilnius, trolleybus # 1650". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
19. ^ "Brno, trolleybus # 3008". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
20. ^ "Kaliningrad, trolleybus # 401". transphoto.org. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
21. ^ "Maršrutų tvarkaraščiai". www.stops.lt. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
22. ^ Marius (3 November 2015). "Skoda 15Tr trolleybuses are finally in route 7. For how long?". Judėjimas „Už troleibusus Vilniuje“. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
23. ^ "Eismo Tvarkaraščiai". 20 June 2013. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website (in Lithuanian and English)