Overview
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. Opened in 1942, the system supplements the Geneva tramway network. It is operated by Transports publics genevois (TPG), and currently also serves the neighbouring municipalities of Bernex, Cologny, Confignon, Le Grand-Saconnex, Lancy, Meyrin, Onex and Vernier.
History
Geneva's first trolleybus line, inaugurated on 11 September 1942, linked Champel with Le Petit-Saconnex, replacing the former tram line. Like the tramway network, it was operated by the Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE). In subsequent years, other tram lines were closed and replaced with trolleybus lines: *in 1950, line 4; *in 1959, line 6; *in 1961, line 2. Additionally, two trolleybus lines replaced former bus lines: * in 1950, line 7 to Aïre; * in 1959, line 33 to Cointrin. In 1971, line 4 was closed. On 1 January 1977, the name of the operator, CGTE, was changed to Transports Publics Genevois (TPG). On 25 September 1989, line 5 was merged into line 6.
For more than a decade, some services on the extended line 6 were operated by conventional buses (fully trolleybus line 26 was supporting it till Châtelaine), but on 24 June 2001 the line reverted to operation solely by trolleybuses.
Lines
Since the reorganisation of Geneva's tram and trolleybus lines on 11 December 2011, the trolleybus lines have been as follows:
Current fleet
Geneva's present trolleybus fleet consists of 94 articulated and ten bi-articulated vehicles:
Past fleet
The following table summarises Geneva's former trolleybuses: 51 type vehicle no 847, photographed in 1971 articulated trolleybus 602 in 1979. This was one of several trolleybuses of its type that were sold to the Valparaíso trolleybus system, in Chile, in 1992. class="wikitable" - style="background:#E0E0E0;" ! Fleet nos.
Quantity Manufacturer Electrics Type Built Out of service - 801–812 12 Saurer / CGTE SAAS Rigid (two-axle) 1942–48 - 821–835 15 Saurer / Hess SAAS Rigid (two-axle) 1950–51 - 836–846 11 FBW MFO Rigid (two-axle) 1947 (ex-VBZ) - 847–856 10 FBW MFO Rigid (two-axle) 1949–51 (ex-VBZ) - 861–878 18 Berna / SWP SAAS Rigid (two-axle) 1959–60 1988 - 881–892 12 Berliet SAAS Rigid (two-axle) 1963 1975 - 601–621 21 Berna / SWS SAAS Articulated 1965 1992 - 631–648 18 FBW / Hess SAAS Articulated 1975 2005 - 651–674 24 Saurer / Hess BBC Articulated 1982–83 2014 - 681–700 20 NAW / Hess BBC Articulated 1987–88 2014 - 721 1 NAW / Hess ABB Bi-articulated 1993/2003 (ex-709) 2016 The unique NAW/Hess bi-articulated vehicle, fleet no. 721, was created in autumn 2003, by adding a third (middle) body section to the 1993-built trolleybus no. 709 of type BGT-N.
It was the first Swiss bi-articulated trolleybus and served as a prototype for the production vehicles of type BGGT-N2C. All of the bi-articulated vehicles are used on line 10.
See also
*List of trolleybus systems in Switzerland *Trams in Geneva
External links
* (German, with automated translation to English and other languages available on-site) *