Riga has upgraded 2/3 of its trolleybus fleet. The 150th new trolleybus already in service. : Current information : Rīgas satiksme

Back to list Print 30. Sep. 2009

Riga has upgraded 2/3 of its trolleybus fleet. The 150th new trolleybus already in service.

"Rīgas satiksme" has received the last share of the 150 new trolleybuses which are due to replace 12-meter long old vehicles having served 20 years on the average. It means that now 2/3 of Riga trolleybuses are replaced by new ones. The new trolleybuses have been put into service and already carry passengers. Of the 150 Škoda 24Tr Irisbus trolleybuses delivered, 90 are equipped with diesel generators, which has already enabled the service of 2 routes with interrupted electric power network.

Trolleybuses with diesel motors run in 13 Janvāra Street to the Railway Terminal Square in routes No. 9 and 27 (formerly No.8). As of October 1, on the way from the city centre, these trolleybuses will stop in 13 Janvāra Street, at the stop of buses No. 3, 30, 23 and 26 (you can check the location of stops in our web page, section Routes, Timetables).

To renew the whole fleet of trolleybuses, 120 long trolleybuses would need to be replaced with new ones in coming years. "Rīgas satiksme "keeps on upgrading its rolling stock, yet the speed of this upgrading will depend on the company’s finances.

The new trolleybuses delivered are 12 meters long and have low platform. Having no steps in the doors and inside the passenger compartment, they are designed for carrying people with special needs. There is an electric-driven platform in the middle door, and opposite it there is enough space for a wheel-chair or a baby carriage. A special mechanism tilts the body of the trolleybus to the right, which makes getting into and off the trolleybus easier for passengers. The passenger compartment contains 28 seats and place for 96 standing passengers (89 if a wheelchair is on board).

The trolleybuses are provided with all the equipment necessary for a modern means of transport, to ensure rapid and safe transportation of passengers, as well as comfort for both passengers and the driver. It needs relatively less time for speeding up and slowing down, has an automatic high-voltage equipment insulation control system, an effective heating and air conditioning system inside the passenger compartment and the driver’s cabin, current collectors with electropneumatic lowering mechanism, built-in sensors in doors which ensure their automatic opening in case of an obstacle and a passenger information system with LCD monitor in the passenger compartment, as well a diesel generator (EURO 4 engine) which allows the trolleybus to be run also outside the electric power network.

The new trolleybuses have been delivered pursuant to the contract signed with "Škoda Elektrik s.r.o." in 2007 as a result of an open tender. The contract amount is EUR 63 million (~ LVL 44 million).

In Riga, trolleybuses run in 20 routes and carry 34 % from the total number of "Rīgas satiksme" passengers. To ensure passenger transportation by trolleybuses, Riga needs more than 300 vehicles. 52 new trolleybuses wee bought before 2007.