The current system is in operation since 1951; previously, at the start of the twentieth century, La Spezia was served by a pioneering experimental system.
History
The first, pioneering, trolleybus service in La Spezia was active between 1906 and 1909, and ran from the city centre to Fezzano, on the road to Portovenere. It was an experimental line, one of the first to be built in Italy, and was served by Omnibus Turrinelli vehicles numbered from 31 to 34.
After World War II, trolleybuses returned to town in a more modern form, to replace the tram system that had become obsolete. La Spezia's first regular trolleybus line entered service in 1951. It was operated with Fiat 668 model trolleybuses bodied by Viberti, and with electrical equipment by Ansaldo. Numbered 201 to 213, they were 10m (33ft) long, had a central driving position, and their maximum speed was 52km/h (32mph).
In 1953, another four trolleybuses of the same model were added to the fleet. They were numbered from 214 to 217. In the same year, nine Alfa Romeo 900 AF vehicles, bodied by Piaggio and with Ansaldo electrical equipment, came into circulation in La Spezia. Their fleet numbers were 218 to 226.
In 1954, the then operator of the system, FITRAM, ordered two more trolleybuses, nos 227 and 228, with electrical equipment by Maschine Works Oerlikon from the San Giorgio company in Pistoia. With a length of 11 meters, and a greater availability of seats (over 28), they were the first trolleybuses in La Spezia to have battery powered autonomous auxiliary equipment located in the underbody, but they were never used on regular shifts. Due to their unsatisfactory cab layout and steering, and low-capacity braking, they were sold during 1959.
Three years earlier, in 1956, Alfa Romeo 910 AF trolleybuses nos 229 and 230 had enriched the trolley fleet, and their use on line 2 until 1978 testifies to their hard work. They were bodied by Officine Meccaniche Pistoiesi, and, as usual, electrical equipment was by Ansaldo.
In 1963, SEAC of Carmagnola created nine Alfa Romeo 1000 AF trolleybuses for La Spezia. With Ansaldo electrical components and Tubocar bodies, they were numbered 231 to 240. The Alfa 1000 were still employed on fixed shifts of circular line 1/3 to the end of the 1970s.
In 1975, trolleybus no 203, with Mauri light aluminum alloy bodywork, was added to the fleet. This experiment was extended to the 668 Vibertis that had never received attention, nor revisions: nos 209 and 214. In 1977, four more vehicles, nos 241 to 244, were purchased from AMT in Genoa. Again, these were Fiat 668 Mauris. With the closure of line 2 in 1978, the Alfas nos 900 and 910, and the remaining 668 Vibertis, were scrapped. The trolleybuses still circulating were nos 203, 209, 214, and 231 to 244.
Breda trolleybus no 805, near La Spezia's Megacine
After a final period of agony with the limitation of the service only to the morning hours, the trolleybus service was suspended in 1985, for asphalting work on Via Chiodo. It was restored three years later, on 26 November 1988, with the arrival of new Breda vehicles, numbered from 801 to 814, following the presentation, on 19 December 1987, of the prototype, no 800. The new vehicles, with their wide technological gap due to air conditioning in summer, space for the inclusion of an independent brand of auxiliary motor, and a capacity of 112 (20 seats, 91 standing and 1 driver), had a greatly positive impact: they are all still in service to this day.
In 1998, the network was reorganized, with the activation of the new trunk line Canaletto–Bragarina, and the separation of lines 1 and 3 after 30 years of operation as a circular line.
In 2005, due to work on line 3 in Corso Nazionale and near Piazzale Ferro, trolleybus services were suspended between Chiappa and Canaletto and replaced by buses on a single line 3 Chiappa–Felettino. Between 2005 and 2007, the trolleybuses were circulating at a record low: only three daily on line 1 Pegazzano–Bragarina at a frequency of one every 20 minutes.
On 30 March 2007, the inaugural run of line 1 took place to the new terminus at Palaspezia. From 12 May 2007 to 11 September 2008, trolleybuses operated alternatively either to the terminus at Bragarina, or to the new one at Palaspezia at a frequency of one every 10 minutes. From 12 September 2008 to 31 March 2011, line 1 effectively operated only between Pegazzano and Bragarina, at 12-minute intervals with six cars on the road. From 1 April 2011, with the introduction of the new timetable, trolleybuses are circulating once again three at a time, every 20 minutes, as in 2006. On 9 June 2012 the service was fully suspended for two years, with the consequent provision of Bredabus 4001.12, in service since 1988. Service was re-opened on 20 March 2014.[1]
Services
In the years since its establishment, the current system has had three lines. Their present status is:
1 - Pegazzano – via Chiodo – Canaletto – Bragarina;
2 - Closed in 1978, upon the integration of long distance buses to Lerici and Portovenere into the urban service;
3 - Chiappa – via Chiodo – Felettino Hospital;
37 - Pianazze - Fossamastra – via Fiume;
Trolleybus fleet
La Spezia's present trolleybus fleet is made up of only the following type:
Breda 4001.12, entered service in 1988 (14 trolleybus n° 801 to 814)
Solaris Trollino 12 (8 trolleybus n°815 to 822). Entered service in 2014.
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws power from dual overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires, and two trolley poles, are required to complete the electrical circuit. This differs from a tram or streetcar, which normally uses the track as the return path, needing only one wire and one pole. They are also distinct from other kinds of electric buses, which usually rely on batteries. Power is most commonly supplied as 600-volt direct current, but there are exceptions.
Trolleybuses in Naples provide a portion of the public transport service in the city and comune of Naples, in the region of Campania, southern Italy. From 1964 to 2015, two independent trolleybus systems were in operation, both publicly owned, but only that of Azienda Napoletana Mobilità (ANM) remains in operation. The ANM system opened in 1940, whereas the smaller trolleybus network of Compagnia Trasporti Pubblici di Napoli (CTP) opened in 1964.
The Milan trolleybus system is part of the public transport network of Milan, Italy. In operation since 1933, the system presently comprises four routes.
The Cagliari trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of the city and comune of Cagliari, in the region of Sardinia, Italy.
The Genoa trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of the city and comune of Genoa, in the region of Liguria, northern Italy. In operation since 1997, the system currently comprises only one route. Between 2008 and 2012, two routes were being operated.
The Parma trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of the city and comune of Parma, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. In operation since 1953, the system presently comprises four urban routes.
The İzmir trolleybus system formed part of the public transport network in the city of İzmir, Turkey, from 1954 to 1992. Operated by ESHOT, the system was one of five trolleybus systems to have existed in Turkey, along with ones in Ankara, Istanbul, Malayta, and Sanliurfa. Prior to the opening of the Malatya system, in 2015, the İzmir system had been the last surviving trolleybus system in Turkey at the time of its closure in 1992. Trolleybuses operated mainly in Konak, with lines to Buca, Balçova and Tepecik.
The Bologna trolleybus system is part of the public transport network of the city and comune of Bologna, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. While being in operation since 1991, the current system comprises five urban routes: 13, 14, 15, 32 and 33. Additional routes are presently under construction.
The Ancona trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of the city and comune of Ancona, in the Marche region, central Italy. In operation since 1949, the system presently comprises only one urban route.
The Chieti trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of the city and comune of Chieti, in the region of Abruzzo, central Italy. In operation since 2009, the system comprises one urban route.
The Modena trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of the city and comune of Modena, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy.
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 Santos trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network in Santos, a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Opened on 12 August 1963, it presently comprises only one line, and, along with the two São Paulo metropolitan area trolleybus systems, is one of only three trolleybus systems still operating in Brazil.
The Rimini trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of the Province of Rimini, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
The Rosario trolleybus system is part of the public transport network in Rosario, the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina.
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 Alfa Romeo 900AF is Italian trolleybus produced from 1955 to 1957.
The Alfa Romeo Mille is a trolleybus manufactured by Alfa Romeo.
Trieste's trolleybus system was operational from 1935 until 1975.
The Avellino trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of the city of Avellino and the province of Avellino, in the region of Campania. Trolleybuses originally served the city from 1947 to 1973, on a route that also extended outside the city to the neighbouring towns of Atripalda and Mercogliano, and then the system closed. However, in the 2000s work to build a new trolleybus system got under way and new vehicles were purchased for it in 2007, and were delivered in 2014. The project experienced several delays after the start of construction in 2009, but most issues had been resolved by 2020 and construction was largely completed by 2021. Throughout its planning and construction, it was inaccurately referred to as the "metropolitana leggera", when in fact it was never planned to be a rail line, and always planned to be a trolleybus line. The last round of testing took place in December 2022 and January 2023, and the new trolleybus system opened for service on 3 April 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
