Head to the Airport by the Longest Trolleybus in the Czech Republic

04. 03. 2024

On the Wednesday afternoon of March 6, 2024, a new trolleybus route number 59 was launched, replacing bus route number 119. The Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) thus became the first operator of a high-capacity trolleybus in the Czech Republic. The service with passengers set off for the first time ever from Terminal 1 towards Nádraží Veleslavín at 02:41, and in the opposite direction at 02:46.

A total of twenty high-capacity three-section battery trolleybuses Škoda-Solaris 24m were supplied to DPP by a consortium of companies Škoda Electric, Solaris Bus & Coach, and Solaris Czech. The trolleybuses, measuring 24.7 meters in length, offer passengers five doors for boarding as well as alighting and have a capacity of 180 places (54 seats). The vehicle is air-conditioned, possesses four LED information panels and a special modification for luggage transport.

To facilitate the operation of the trolleybuses, a total of 11.5 km of trolleybus overhead lines have been constructed between Nádraží Veleslavín and Terminal 3. Between the Terminal 3 and Letiště stops, the trolleybuses will be battery-powered and recharged at the charging stations at Václav Havel Airport Prague and at Nádraží Veleslavín alike. Charging infrastructure has also been built in the Řepy garage, serving as the trolleybus dispatch centre. 

The project of acquiring 20 high-capacity battery trolleybuses is funded by the European Union. The goal of the project is to develop emission-free mobility in urban public transport in Prague by purchasing emission-free battery trolleybuses to replace the existing diesel articulated buses with high diesel consumption, marked by significant emissions and noise pollution.

 Škoda-Solaris 24m trolleybus datasheet

• Length: 24,700 mm
• Width: 2,550 mm
• Height: 3,500 mm (retracted trolley poles)
• Wheelbase: front 5,900 mm / middle 6,000 mm / rear 7,350 mm
• Total maximum weight: 38,000 kg
• Maximum speed: 70 km/h
• Number of axles: 4
• Number of powered axles: 2 (second and third)
• Number of steering axles: 2 (front and rear)
• Number of doors for boarding and alighting: 5
• Boarding height: 320 mm
• Total number of seats: 54
• Total passenger capacity: 180
• Number of electric motors: 2
• Traction electric motor power: 2× 180 kW
• Traction battery capacity: 60 kWh (usable)
• Number of vehicles purchased for the DPP fleet: 20