Trolleybuses in Urgench

Last updated
Urgench trolleybus system
Urganch-14TrM-008-01.jpg
A Škoda 14TrM 008 in Urgench, 2010.
Operation
Locale Urgench, Uzbekistan
Open1997 (1997)
StatusOpen
Routes1
Infrastructure
Depot(s)1 (Urganch)
Stock9x Škoda 24Tr Irisbus nos 010 to 018 (8x on duty daily, 1x on service/reserve)
Statistics
Route length 31.3 km
Overview
Oberleitungsbus-Urganch.png

The Urgench trolleybus system links Urgench, the capital city of Xorazm Region in western Uzbekistan, with the neighbouring city of Khiva. Since the closure of the Tashkent trolleybus system in 2010, it has been Uzbekistan's only trolleybus system.

Contents

The cross country line is 31.3 km (19.4 mi) long; a further urban line in Urgench has been abandoned.

History

On 20 October 1997, urban trolleybuses came to Urgench, with the inauguration of line 1 between Aeroport (Urgench Airport) and Temir Yul Vokzali (railway station). Urgench thereby became the last city in Uzbekistan in which a trolleybus system was opened. In 1998 came the overland line 2 to Khiva, near the border with Turkmenistan, to complete the expansion of the trolleybus system.

As early as 2002, the urban line 1 was closed. Since then, only the overland line 2 has remained. [1]

On 26 October 2009, the Government of Uzbekistan decided to close the remaining trolleybus systems in Jizzakh and Namangan at the end of 2009, and in the capital Tashkent during 2010. The Urgench system was the only one not slated for closure; instead of that, nine new trolleybuses were to be procured. [2]

Since then, a short extension section in Khiva, including a link to a depot, has been under construction, with commissioning scheduled for summer 2010.

Lines

The short section of the overhead wire from the city center to the railway station (Temir Yul Vokzali), previously served only by line 1 and section to the Urgench International Airport, have been dismantled.

Former Line 2 essentially follows the course of the Urgench–Khiva road, it is the only line nowadays. In the city centers of Urgench and Khiva, the route followed by this line is determined by one-way streets.

The Khiva terminus is on the northern edge of the Itchan Kala fortress (now a World Heritage Site), east of its north gate. West of the fortress is another, unused, short section of overhead wire, with a loop at the west gate. This section is not connected by switches with the regularly used section, but can be used to short cut the regular round trip.

Another, not yet operational section (not shown on the map), branches off immediately after the Khiva terminus, but is not yet connected with the rest of the system.

Skoda 14Tr 004 in Khiva (2010). Urganch-14Tr-004-01.jpg
Škoda 14Tr 004 in Khiva (2010).
 
Skoda 14TrM 007 in O`zbekiston (2010). Urganch-14TrM-007-01.jpg
Škoda 14TrM 007 in Oʻzbekiston (2010).
 
Skoda 14Tr 001 in Urgench on the line to the depot (2010). Urganch-14Tr-001-01.jpg
Škoda 14Tr 001 in Urgench on the line to the depot (2010).

Fleet

Skoda 24Tr Irisbus trolleybus in Urgench, 2015 Skoda 24Tr in Urgench.jpg
Škoda 24Tr Irisbus trolleybus in Urgench, 2015

For the opening of the system in 1997, Škoda delivered six 14Tr trolleybuses with the numbers 001 to 006, and three more modern 14TrM trolleybuses numbered 007 to 009. They had been manufactured in the Škoda factory in Ostrov nad Ohri in the Czech Republic.

The primary external difference between the 14Trs and the 14TrMs is the matrix display on the latter model's front. In Urgench, this display is not used to show destinations.

As of 2010, all nine vehicles were still in service. [3] but as of 2023 all of them withdrawn and 5 chassis' remains are stored at the depot.

In 2013, 9 new Škoda 24Tr Irisbus trolleybuses entered service.

Depot

The system's depot is in Urgench. It is connected with the operating lines by a service line approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) long. However, there are no switches between the service line and the operating lines.

Ride cost (as of December 2023)

Operating hours

6.45 - 18.45 Daily

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton Street Railway</span> Public transit agency in Ontario, Canada

The Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) is the public transport agency for Hamilton, Ontario. The name is a legacy of the company's early period, when public transit in Hamilton was primarily served by streetcars. Although streetcars are no longer used in the city today, the HSR operates bus and paratransit services, with a ridership of 21 million passengers a year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urgench</span> City in Khorezm Region, western Uzbekistan

Urgench is a district-level city in western Uzbekistan. It is the capital of Xorazm Region. The estimated population of Urgench in 2021 was 145,000, an increase from 139,100 in 1999. It lies on the Amu Darya River and the Shavat canal. The city is situated 450 km (280 mi) west of Bukhara across the Kyzylkum Desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in Greater Boston</span> Electric powered public transportation

The Boston-area trolleybus system formed part of the public transportation network serving Greater Boston in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It opened on April 11, 1936, with a large network operating for the next quarter-century. Measured by fleet size, the Boston-area system was the second-largest trolleybus system in the United States at its peak, with only the Chicago system having more trolleybuses than Boston's 463. After 1963, the only remaining portion was a four-route cluster operating from the Harvard bus tunnel at Harvard station, running through Cambridge, Belmont, and Watertown. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority took over the routes in 1964.

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

A Warsaw trolleybus system formed part of the public transport network of Warsaw, the capital city of Poland, during two separate periods. The first trolleybus system was established in 1946 and lasted until 1973. It had a maximum of 10 routes. The second system, comprising only one route, was in operation from 1983 until 1995. Between 1992 and its closure, it was operated by Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego (ZTM), in English the Public Transport Authority (Warsaw).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric Transit, Inc.</span> Defunct trolleybus manufacturer in the United States

Electric Transit, Inc. (ETI) was a joint venture between the Škoda group in the Czech Republic and AAI Corporation in the United States which made trolleybuses for the Dayton and San Francisco trolleybus systems, constructing a total of 330 trolleybuses. ETI was formed in 1994, and ownership was divided as 65% by Škoda and 35% by AAI. The latter was a wholly owned subsidiary of United Industrial Corporation. Up to that time, Škoda had built more than 12,000 trolleybuses since 1935, but none for cities outside Europe and Asia. The ETI joint venture was dissolved in 2004, shortly after an unsuccessful bid to supply trolleybuses to Vancouver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shush Metro Station</span> Station of the Tehran Metro

Shush Metro Station is a station in Tehran Metro Line 1. It is located in Shush Street. It is between Payane Jonoob Metro Station and Meydan-e Mohammadiyeh Metro Station.

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

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.

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

The Rome trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of the city and comune of Rome, Italy. In operation since 2005, the current system comprises three routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tashkent–Bukhara high-speed rail line</span> High-speed railway line in Uzbekistan

The Tashkent–Bukhara high-speed rail line is a 600-kilometre (373 mi) high-speed rail connection between Tashkent and Bukhara, two major cities in Uzbekistan. The route passes through six regions: Tashkent, Sirdaryo, Jizzakh, Samarqand, Navoiy, and Bukhara in Uzbekistan. Trains operate seven days a week under the brand name Afrosiyob. The line originally ran from Tashkent to Samarqand, but an extension to Bukhara went into operation on 25 August 2016. Travel from Tashkent to Bukhara, a distance of 600 km (373 mi), now takes 3 hours and 20 minutes instead of 7 hours.

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

The San Francisco trolleybus system forms part of the public transportation network serving San Francisco, in the state of California, United States. Opened on October 6, 1935, it presently comprises 15 lines and is operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway, commonly known as Muni, with around 300 trolleybuses. In San Francisco, these vehicles are also known as "trolley coaches", a term that was the most common name for trolleybuses in the United States in the middle decades of the 20th century. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 33,664,000, or about 135,000 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2023.

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

The Dayton trolleybus system forms part of the public transportation network serving Dayton, in the state of Ohio, United States. Opened on April 23, 1933, it presently comprises five lines, and is operated by the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, with a fleet of 45 trolleybuses. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 1,813,600, or about 6,700 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2023.

The Ashgabat trolleybus system formed part of the public transport network in Ashgabat, the capital city of Turkmenistan. It was the only trolleybus system ever in that country.

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

The Coimbra trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network in the city of Coimbra, Portugal. Opened in 1947, it supplemented, and then eventually replaced, the Coimbra tramway network. Service has been temporarily suspended since March 2021 and is not expected to resume before late 2024.

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

The Guadalajara trolleybus system serves Guadalajara, the capital city of the state of Jalisco in Mexico.

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

The Tehran trolleybus system serves Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Opened in 1992, it is the only trolleybus system ever to have existed in Iran. At its maximum extent, the system had five routes, served by at least 65 trolleybuses. The system closed in 2013, but reopened in 2016 with one route and a fleet of around 30 modernised Škoda 15Tr.

<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.

As of 2012 there were around 300 cities or metropolitan areas where trolleybuses were operated, and more than 500 additional trolleybus systems have existed in the past. For complete lists of trolleybus systems by location, with dates of opening and closure, see List of trolleybus systems and the related lists indexed there.

The Sumqayit trolleybus system was a system of trolleybuses forming part of the public transport service in Sumqayit, the third most populous city in Azerbaijan, for most of the second half of the 20th century.

The Ganja trolleybus system was a system of trolleybuses forming part of the public transport arrangements in Ganja, the second most populous city in Azerbaijan, for most of the second half of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">30 Stockton</span> Trolleybus route in San Francisco, California

30 Stockton is a trolleybus line operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway. The line is notable for being the slowest trolleybus route in the city of San Francisco because it travels through the densely populated neighborhood of Chinatown.

References

  1. Haseldine, Peter (2007). "Trolleynews". Trolleybus Magazine No. 272, p. 46. National Trolleybus Association (UK). ISSN   0266-7452.
  2. "Ташкент откажется от троллейбусов" [Tashkent to close down its trolleybuses]. Газета.uz. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  3. "Vehicles list: Urgench, trolleybuses". Urban Electric Transit . Retrieved 29 August 2011.{{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)

Sources

Haseldine, Peter (2007). "Trolleynews". Trolleybus Magazine No. 267, p. 72. National Trolleybus Association (UK). ISSN   0266-7452.

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

41°33′N60°38′E / 41.550°N 60.633°E / 41.550; 60.633