Bern trolleybus system | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Bern, Switzerland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Open | 29 October 1940 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | Open | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Routes | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | Bernmobil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Infrastructure | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | 600 V DC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Route length | 21.7 km (13.5 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2010 | 21,762,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | http://www.bernmobil.ch Bernmobil (in German) |
The Bern trolleybus system (Alemannic German : Trolleybussystem Bern) is part of the public transport network of Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. Opened in 1940, it combines with the Bern S-Bahn, the Bern tramway network and Bern's urban motorbus network to form an integrated all-four style scheme.
As of 2012 [update] , the system consists of three lines, 35 stops, and a total route length of 21.7 km (13.5 mi). It is operated by Städtische Verkehrsbetriebe Bern (SVB) (better known since 2000 by its trading name, Bernmobil), which also operates the tramway and motorbus networks. Like the other modes of public transport in the region, it is covered by the Tarifverbund Bern-Solothurn.
On 2 and 3 December 1939, the City of Bern's voters decided to introduce trolleybuses as a third form of urban public transport. The Bern trolleybus system went into operation on 29 October 1940 on line 12, between Bärengraben and Schosshalde, and served initially only as a tramway feeder. The body initially responsible for running the new trolleybus system was the Städtische Strassenbahn Bern (SSB), while Stadt-Omnibus Bern (SOB) ran the city's motor bus services. Only on 1 September 1947 did the two companies merge, to form Städtische Verkehrsbetriebe Bern (SVB).
On 22 January 1941, the then 4.22 km (2.62 mi) long trolleybus line 12 finally took over the Bahnhof Bern–Bärengraben section of tram line 8. On 5 July 1941, due to wartime fuel shortages, the 3.7 km (2.3 mi) long motor bus line to Bümpliz was converted into a trolleybus line. To avoid intersections between the trolleybus and tram lines, passengers using trolleybuses to travel into and out of the inner city had to change modes of transport at the Insel tram/bus stop. [1]
On 9 May 1948, the Bümpliz line was converted back to motor bus operation. In 1961, the Bahnhof Bern–Länggasse motor bus line was electrified to become part of trolleybus line 12. Until 1959, this route had been a tram line, and had connected with trolleybus line 12 to the Schosshalde. On 24 September 1972, the voters said "yes" to a template for the electrification of three further motor bus routes:
Lines 13 and 14 were also extended in the course of electrification. Additionally, line 11 was opened on 18 May 1977, as a trolleybus line from Güterbahnhof (goods station) to Brückfeld. On 5 May 1992, this line was extended again, for nearly half a kilometre, to the new Neufeld P+R facility.
The most recent network expansion, opened on 20 June 2005, was an extension of line 12 of approximately 650 m (2,130 ft), from Schosshalde to Zentrum Paul Klee. On 1 July of that year, the trolleybus system then shrank significantly, as lines 13 and 14 were temporarily converted to motor bus operation during the project Tram Bern-West, until 2010, when the tramway network took over the operation of these two western branches.
In 2010, the Bern trolleybus system yielded the following statistics: [2]
The present system is made up of the following lines:
11 | Holligen–Bahnhof Bern–Bollwerk–Brückfeld–Neufeld P+R | Cross-city route | 11 stops | 6-minute intervals |
12 | Länggasse–Bahnhof Bern–Schosshalde–Zentrum Paul Klee | Cross-city route | 17 stops | 6-minute intervals |
20 | Bahnhof Bern–Bollwerk–Wyleregg–Bahnhof Wankdorf | Radial route | 10 stops | 5-minute intervals |
Due to the lack of a turning circle at Wyleregg, the supplementary services that run on line 20 on school days are operated by diesel buses. [3]
Fleet nos | Qty | Built | In service | Manufacturer | Electrics | Type | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1, 2, 9–12 | 6 | 1940–1941 | 1940–1966 | FBW / Ramseier & Jenzer / Gangloff | BBC / MFO | 1 | Rigid |
3–8 | 6 | 1940–1941 | 1940–1965 | Saurer / Gangloff | MFO | 4 TP | Rigid |
13–16 | 4 | 1942 | 1942–1966 | FBW / Gangloff | BBC | 2 | Rigid |
17 | 1 | 1942 | 1942–1967 | Saurer / Ramseier & Jenzer | MFO | 4 TP | Rigid |
21–29 | 9 | 1961 | 1961–1998 | FBW / Gangloff / Ramseier & Jenzer | MFO | 51 | Articulated, nickname Flipperkasten ("pinball tables") |
30–55 | 26 | 1974 | 1974–2006 | FBW / Hess / Ramseier & Jenzer / Gangloff | SAAS | 91 GTL | Articulated(1) |
56–61 | 6 | 1977 | 1977–2006 | FBW / Hess | SAAS | 91 GTL | Articulated |
62–66 | 5 | 1985 | 1985–2009 | Volvo / Ramseier & Jenzer | BBC | B10M | Articulated(2) |
67–69 | 3 | 1974 | 1992–1994 | FBW / Hess | SAAS | 91 GTS | Articulated(3) |
– | 1 | 1991 | 1991 | NAW / Hess | BBC | BGT-N | Articulated, low-floor (4) |
(1) = Prior to entering service in Bern, trolleybus no. 30 was a demonstration vehicle for the Swiss trolleybus manufacturing, both domestically and abroad, for example, in Vancouver. After a heating unit failure, it was burned out in 1976, but was rebuilt in 1977 in the SVB workshop. Later, trolleybus no. 55 was used as a demonstration in Solingen and Arnhem, amongst other places.
(2) = Joint order with articulated buses nos. 61-70 of the Biel/Bienne trolleybus system.
(3) = Lent by the Neuchâtel trolleybus system, and used during the winters of 1992–93 and 1993–94. A proposed acquisition of these vehicles did not occur. No. 67 was formerly Neuchâtel 156, no. 68 was Neuchâtel 158, and no. 69 was Neuchâtel 160.
(4) = BGT-N demonstration vehicle, used on all of the Swiss trolleybus systems, except the Lugano system.
Additionally, between 1943 and 1960 a Saurer/Gangloff Type 4R trailer was in the fleet. It was purchased by Stadt-Omnibus Bern, initially bore the number 101, and in 1956 was renumbered as 201. The trailer was used with both trolleybuses and motorbuses, trolleybus no. 6 and motorbuses nos. 54 and 55 being equipped for towing it.
In 2006, the eleven vehicles with the fleet numbers 33, 34, 46, 53, 54 and 56 to 61 were delivered to the Brașov trolleybus system in Romania, where they are still in service.
Former Bernese trolleybuses nos. 13, 28 and 59 are now in the custody of the Tramvereins Bern (TVB) ("Bern Tram Association"), and trolleybus no. 38 is now owned by the Trolleybusvereins Schweiz (TVS) ("Switzerland Trolleybus Association"). Trolleybus no. 55 has been sent to the Obus-Museum Solingen e. V. ("Solingen Trolleybus Museum") in Germany, and is the only one of the five preserved Bernese trolley buses still in running order.
The Bern trolleybus system has a fleet of 20 vehicles. They are all BGT-N2 low-floor articulated buses with electrical equipment by Kiepe. Also known as Swisstrolley 2s, they were purchased in two groups:
Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ) is a public transport operator in the Swiss city of Zurich, and is wholly owned by the city. Previously known as the Städtische Strassenbahn Zürich (StStZ), the organisation was founded in 1896 and adopted its current name in 1950.
Verkehrsbetriebe Luzern (VBL) is the main provider of public transport in the Swiss city of Lucerne. It operates some 92 buses and 74 trolleybuses on 25 daytime routes, as well as 5 overnight services and one funicular service.
The Walsall trolleybus system once served the town of Walsall, then in Staffordshire, but now in West Midlands, England. Opened on 22 July 1931, it gradually replaced the Walsall Corporation Tramways network.
The Winterthur trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network that serves Winterthur, in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland.
The Bern tramway network is a network of tramways forming part of the public transport system in Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. In operation since 1890, it presently has five lines, one of which incorporates the Bern–Worb Dorf railway.
The Lausanne trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of Lausanne, in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. The system has been in operation since 1932 and is the third-oldest surviving trolleybus system in the world, after those of Shanghai and Philadelphia.
The Biel/Bienne trolleybus system is part of the public transport network of the bilingual city of Biel/Bienne, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. The system also serves the neighbouring municipality of Nidau.
The Fribourg trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network in Fribourg, capital of the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. The system also serves the neighbouring municipalities of Villars-sur-Glâne and Givisiez, using one line in each case.
The La Chaux-de-Fonds trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
The Geneva trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the second largest trolleybus system in Switzerland, after the Lausanne system.
The Neuchâtel trolleybus system is part of the public transport network in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Opened in 1940, it gradually replaced the urban lines of the Neuchâtel tramway network.
The Neuchâtel tramway is a tramway forming part of the public transport system in Neuchâtel, a city in Switzerland.
The St. Gallen trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of St. Gallen, the capital city of the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
The Lucerne trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of Lucerne, which is the capital city of the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland. Opened in 1941, the system had replaced the Lucerne tramway network by 1961.
The Zurich trolleybus system is part of the public transport network of Zurich, Switzerland. Opened in 1939, it combines the Zurich S-Bahn, the Zurich tramway network and Zurich's urban motorbus network to form an integrated all-four style scheme.
The Montreux/Vevey trolleybus system, also known as the Vevey–Villeneuve trolleybus line, forms part of the public transport network in Montreux and Vevey, in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It comprises a single 12.75 km (7.92 mi) long trolleybus route along the length of the Riviera vaudoise on the north shore of Lake Geneva.
The Basel trolleybus system was part of the public transport network of Basel, Switzerland, for nearly six decades. Opened in 1941, it combined after 1997 with the Basel Regional S-Bahn, the Basel tramway network and Basel's urban motorbus network to form an integrated all-four style scheme until its closure in 2008.
The Schaffhausen trolleybus system is part of the public transport network of Schaffhausen, capital city of the canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and the adjacent town of Neuhausen am Rheinfall in the same canton. It is also Switzerland's youngest and smallest such system. Its route, designated as line 1, connects among others Schaffhausen railway station with the Rhine Falls.
The Städtische Verkehrsbetriebe Bern (SVB) is a public transport operator in and around the Swiss capital city of Bern. It is also known by its marketing name of BERNMOBIL, and operates the city's network of trams, trolleybuses and motor buses. It was formed in 1947 by the merger of the Städtische Strassenbahn Bern (SSB), which operated trams and trolleybuses, with the Stadt-Omnibus Bern (SOB), which ran motor buses.
Bradford Corporation Tramways were a tramway network in the city of Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England which operated trams from 1882 until 1950 and trolleybuses from 1911 until 1972. The track gauge of the tramways was 4 ft.
Media related to Trolleybuses in Bern at Wikimedia Commons