Trolleybuses in Lucerne

Last updated

Lucerne trolleybus system
Luzern Swisstrolley.jpg
A Hess Swisstrolley crossing the Reuss, 2005.
Operation
Locale Lucerne, Switzerland
Open7 December 1941 (1941-12-07)
StatusOpen
Routes6
Operator(s) Verkehrsbetriebe Luzern (VBL)
Infrastructure
Electrification 600 V DC parallel overhead lines
Statistics
Route length 37.634 km (23.385 mi)
Overview
Trolleynetz Luzern 2017.png
Website http://www.vbl.ch Verkehrsbetriebe Luzern (VBL) (in German)

The Lucerne trolleybus system (Alemannic German : Trolleybussystem Luzern) 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. [1]

Contents

As of the end of 2013, the system consists of six lines, one of which leads across the city boundary into the neighbouring towns of Emmen, Horw and Kriens. It is currently operated by Verkehrsbetriebe Luzern (VBL), has a total route length of 37.634 km (23.385 mi), [2] and as of about 2011 was carrying 27 million passengers annually. [3] The system is supplemented by various motor bus lines operated by the same transport company.

History

The system's individual trolleybus line sections went into service as follows: [1]

7 December 1941 Bahnhof Luzern–Allmend (2.59 km)Bahnhof Luzern–Breitenlachen:
now line 4
Breitenlachen–Allmend:
decommissioned since 2005
New connection
25 January 1942Bahnhof Luzern–Dietschibergnow lines 6 and 8New connection
20 May 1951Luzernerhof–Wesemlinrainnow line 1 Motor bus replacement
15 November 1959Dietschiberg–Würzenbach (1.05 km)
Bundesplatz–Emmenbrücke (4.38 km)
now lines 6 and 8
now line 2
Motor bus replacement
Tramway replacement
11 November 1961Pilatusplatz–Kriens Busschleife
Wesemlinrain–Maihof
now line 1Tramway replacement
11 November 1962Breitenlachen–Hubelmattnow line 4New connection
10 April 1966Bundesplatz–Matthof
Wartegg–Biregghof
now line 6
now line 7
New connection
2 July 1986Schönbühl–Hirtenhofnow line 8New connection
5 November 1990Kriens Busschleife–Obernau Dorf
Emmenbrücke–Sprengi
now line 1
now line 2
Motor bus replacement
New connection
23 August 2004Wesemlinrain–Unterlöchlinow line 7New connection
15 December 2013Brüelstrasse–Büttenenhaldenow line 6Motor bus replacement
12 December 2016Kriens-Emmenbrueckenow line 5New connection (75th anniversary)
A 1960 FBW trolleybus at Hirtenhof in 1987, a few months after route 8 was converted to trolleybuses Luzern FBW-SWP trolleybus 213 at Hirtenhof terminus in March 1987.jpg
A 1960 FBW trolleybus at Hirtenhof in 1987, a few months after route 8 was converted to trolleybuses

Lines

The present system is made up of the following lines:

1 Obernau Dorf–Ebikon, Fildern cross-city route 38 stops every 7.5 minutes Bi-articulated buses
2 SprengiBahnhof Luzern radial route 16 stopsevery 7.5 minutesBi-articulated buses
4Hubelmatt–Bahnhof Luzernradial route9 stopsevery 10 minutes Articulated buses
5Kriens–Emmenbrückecross-city route20 stopspeak times every 7.5 minutes / off peak every 15 minutesArticulated buses
6Matthof–Büttenenhaldecross-city route23/24 stopsrush hour every 10 minutes / off-peak every 15 minutesArticulated buses
7 Biregghof–Unterlöchlicross-city route23/24 stopsevery 7.5 minutes / off-peak every 15 minutesArticulated buses
8Hirtenhof–Würzenbachcross-city route19/20 stopsrush hour every 10 minutes / off-peak every 15 minutesBi-articulated buses

Lines 6 and 8 operate on the same overhead wires between Brüelstrasse and Schönbühl, so that on this section there are trolleybuses at 5-minute intervals during rush hour, and at 7.5-minute intervals at off-peak times. This combined section is described as double-line 6/8.

Fleet

As of 31 December 2013, the VBL trolleybus fleet had 20 rigid, 26 articulated, and three bi-articulated vehicles There were also 16 trailers that can be used in combination with the rigid buses. [2]

In the 2010s, the Lucerne system was one of only two trolleybus systems worldwide, along with the Lausanne trolleybus system, that still operated trolleybuses towing passenger trailers. However, trailer use on the Lucerne system ended on 10 October 2017, [4] following the delivery of more new articulated trolleybuses, and such usage also ended in Lausanne – the last trolleybus system in the world to use trailers – on 4 May 2021. [5]

ImageFleet nos.QuantityManufacturer Electrics TypeConfiguration Low-floor Built
VBL ST3 209 Bodenhofterrasse.jpg 201–22626Hess Kiepe BGT-N2C Articulatedyes2004–2009
VBL 233 Stampfeli.jpg 231–2333HessKiepeBGGT-N2CBi-articulatedyes2006
VBL 234 Luzernerhof Einweihung.jpg 234–2429HessKiepeBGGT-N2DBi-articulatedyes2014
VBL 253 Weinbergli.jpg 252–254,
257–280
27NAW / HessSiemens BT 5-25 Rigidno1989 (no. 251 built 1987–88)
Vbl 303 (273) Schonbuhl.jpg 301–31616Lanz + Marti / HessnoneAPM 5.6-13 Trailer yes1998–2005

Type BGT 5-25 originally comprised 20 vehicles, nos. 181–200.

Of the 30 rigid versions of that type, the BT 5-25, to be acquired by the VBL, three vehicles had been retired by 2012: nos. 251, 255 and 256.[ citation needed ] In 2014, ten vehicles from that series were sold to the Valparaíso trolleybus system, in Chile: Nos. 265, 266, 268–270, 272, 273, 275, 276, 278. [6]

Depot

The Weinbergli depot is located on the route of lines 6, 7 and 8.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich</span> Public transport company in Zurich, Switzerland

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Zurich</span> Overview of the tram system of Zurich, Switzerland

Trams make an important contribution to public transport in the city of Zurich in Switzerland. The tram network serves most city neighbourhoods, and is the backbone of public transport within the city, albeit supplemented by the inner sections of the Zurich S-Bahn, along with urban trolleybus and bus lines, as well as two funicular railways, one rack railway and passenger boat lines on the river and on the lake. The trams and other city transport modes operate within a fare regime provided by the cantonal public transport authority Zürcher Verkehrsverbund (ZVV), which also covers regional rail and bus services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verkehrsbetriebe Luzern</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bi-articulated bus</span> Bus formed of three sections

A bi-articulated bus or double-articulated bus and sometimes train-bus, tram-bus, trackless tram or double bendy bus is a type of high-capacity articulated bus with an extra axle and a second articulation joint, as well as extended length. Bi-articulated buses tend to be employed in high-frequency core routes or bus rapid transit schemes rather than in conventional bus routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Salzburg</span>

The Salzburg trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network serving Salzburg, capital of the federal state of Salzburg in Austria. Opened on 1 October 1940, it replaced the Salzburg tramway network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Winterthur</span> Trolleybus system in Switzerland

The Winterthur trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network that serves Winterthur, in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Bern</span> Network of tramways in Bern

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Lausanne</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Biel/Bienne</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Fribourg</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in La Chaux-de-Fonds</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Geneva</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Neuchâtel</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Neuchâtel</span>

The Neuchâtel tramway is a tramway forming part of the public transport system in Neuchâtel, a city in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in St. Gallen</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Bern</span> Public transport system in Bern, Switzerland

The Bern trolleybus system 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Zurich</span> Public transport system in Zurich, Switzerland

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Montreux/Vevey</span> Swiss trolleybus system

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Basel</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Schaffhausen</span>

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.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Trolleybusstadt: Luzern (Schweiz) - Geschichte History" [Trolleybus city: Lucerne (Switzerland) - History] (in German). TrolleyMotion. Archived from the original on 5 January 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Die Fakten" [The facts] (in German). Verkehrsbetriebe Luzern . Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  3. Brugger Kalfidis, Pia Maria. "Luzern setzt auf Trolleybusse" [Lucerne relies on trolleybuses](PDF) (in German). Regionale Schienen. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  4. Trolleybus Magazine No. 337 (January–February 2018), p. 37.
  5. Trolleybus Magazine No. 358 (July–August 2021), p. 162.
  6. Trolleybus Magazine No. 320 (March–April 2015), p. 54. ISSN   0266-7452.

Further reading

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Trolleybuses in Lucerne at Wikimedia Commons