Trolleybuses in Chișinău

The Chișinău trolleybus system forms an important part of the public transport network in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova. The system was created shortly after the end of the World War II to replace the old electric tram system that suffered extensive damage during the war.[1] Along with the network of minibuses known as rutierele, it forms the backbone of the Chișinău transport system, with the average daily ridership reaching 250,000 passengers per day.[2][3]

Chișinău trolleybus system
AKSM-321 trolleybus in front of the airport, Chișinău, Moldova
Operation
LocaleChișinău, Moldova
Open1949 (1949)
StatusOpen
Routes24
Operator(s)Regia Transport Electric Chișinău (RTEC)
Infrastructure
Electrification600 V DC
Statistics
Route length246 km (153 mi)
Overview
Chisinau trolleybus network map, 2013.
Websitehttp://www.chisinau.md/pageview.php?l=ro&idc=478 RTEC (in Romanian)

History

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The history of the trolleybus network in Chișinău goes back to 1949 when the city council took the decision to introduce it as a substitute for the tram network that was heavily damaged during World War II and could only be rebuilt to a limited extent. The first line connecting the Chişinău Railway Station with the University of Medicine ran along the Stephen the Great boulevard, where the former tram tracks were removed, and was served by six MTB-82D units. In 1959 the tram depot was transferred to serve the trolleybus system that comprised over 50 units at that time, and by 1961 trolleybuses had completely replaced the trams. The second and the third depots were introduced into service in 1966 and 1986, respectively.[1]

Lines

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The trolleybus network consists of 22 lines covering all the city districts and the suburb of Durlești.[4]

Line Route
02 bd. Traian – str. Pușkin circular route
03 șos. Balcani – str. Miorița
04 Grădina Botanică – str. Constituţiei   connection with Chisinau railway station
05 Trolleybus depot 2 – str. Bariera Sculeni   connection with Chisinau railway station
07 A.B.A.-4 – str. 31 August 1989
08 bd. Traian – parcul "La izvor"   connection with Chisinau railway station
09 Schinoasa-2 – Autogara Nord   connection with Autogara Nord (North bus station)

  connection with Autogara Sud (South bus station)

10 str. Studenților – str. Miorița
11 str. Studenților – parcul "La izvor"
13 str. Ion Dumeniuc – str. Dokuceaev   connection with Autogara Nord (North bus station)
16 Uzina de frigidere – str. 31 August 1989
17 Schinoasa 2 – Gara   connection with Chisinau railway station

  connection with Autogara Sud (South bus station)

20 Trolleybus depot 2 – Autogara Nord   connection with Chisinau railway station

  connection with Autogara Nord (North bus station)

21 Uzina de frigidere – șos. Balcani
22 șos. Balcani – Grădina Botanică
23 str. Ion Dumeniuc – parcul "La izvor"
24 str. Ion Dumeniuc – str. Mioriţa
25 str. Ceucari – str. 31 August 1989
26 str. Ceucari – str. Ion Dumeniuc
27 str. Ceucari – str. Ion Creangă
28 or. Durlești – str. Sarmizegetusa   connection with Chisinau railway station
29 Universitatea Agrarăparcul "Ștefan cel Mare"
30 Aeroportul Internațional Chișinău – str. 31 August 1989   connection with Chișinău International Airport

Fleet

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AKSM-321 operating on the route 22.
 
Škoda 14Tr in 2006
 
YuMZ T2 in 2009

The fleet consists mainly of the various modification of the Soviet-built ZiU-9 and the recently purchased low-floor vehicles AKSM-321 manufactured by Belkommunmash in Belarus (Chișinău is the third-largest user of this model, after Minsk and Moscow). In addition, the network also operates a number of the Czech-produced Škoda 14Tr (popular with the drivers) and Ukrainian-built YuMZ-T2.[5]

Model[6] Total / Active
ACSM-321 101 / 98
RTEC 62321M2 65 / 59
RTEC 62321M1 64 / 62
RTEC 6232100DM3 40 / 40
Škoda 14TrM 39 / 32
ZiU-682V variants 23 / 20
Škoda 24Tr Irisbus Citelis 20 / 20
YuMZ T2 20 / 19
ZiU-682G variants 17 / 13
ZiU-683V01 5 / 3
ACSM-433 Vitovt Max II 5 / 5
Solaris Trollino II 18 Ganz 5 / 5
ACSM-213 2 / 2
RTEC 624201M1 1 / 1
VMZ-5298.00 (VMZ-375) 1 / 1
YuMZ T1 1 / 1

In 2021, two trolleybuses built by the now-defunct Dutch manufacturer APTS (Advanced Public Transport Systems), to its Phileas design, were acquired secondhand: A 2011 prototype for a planned new busway system in Pescara, Italy, and a 2014 prototype (with doors on both sides) for the Metromare busway then under construction in Rimini, Italy.[7] Neither ever entered service on the systems for which they had been purchased, and eventually they were sold to a dealer in secondhand vehicles.[8] They were given fleet numbers 1000 and 1001 in Chișinău, and No. 1001 entered service in June 2022.[9]

Payment system

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Every vehicle has a fare collector who sells single-ride tickets valid for this particular ride only. Alternatively, one can purchase a monthly ticket, valid for a calendar month. A single-ride ticket costs (since September '22) 6 MDL, and the price of the monthly pass is 234 MDL. There are also: monthly ticket for scholars and students – 70 MDL, ticket for 15 days – 100 MDL, monthly ticket for students with social privileges – 70 MDL, monthly ticket for economic agents – 320 MDL.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Chisinau trolleybus history". Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Report of the Department of Public Transport". 6 March 2013. Archived from the original on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  3. ^ "The role of trolleybus in the Chisinau transport network".
  4. ^ "Chisinau trolleybus timetable".
  5. ^ "ГОРОДСКОЙ ЭЛЕКТРОТРАНСПОРТ совмещённый трамвайно-троллейбусный сайт".
  6. ^ "Chișinău, Trolleybus – Vehicle Statistics".
  7. ^ "Trolleynews [regular news section]". Trolleybus Magazine. No. 358. UK: National Trolleybus Association. July–August 2021. p. 155. ISSN 0266-7452.
  8. ^ "Italian Tragedies". Trolleybus Magazine. No. 339. UK: National Trolleybus Association. May–June 2018. p. 91. ISSN 0266-7452.
  9. ^ "Trolleynews [regular news section]". Trolleybus Magazine. No. 365. UK: National Trolleybus Association. September–October 2022. p. 211.
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