Trolleybuses in Parma

The Parma trolleybus system (Italian: Rete filoviaria di Parma) forms part of the public transport network of the city and comune of Parma, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. In operation since 1953, the system presently comprises four urban routes.

Parma trolleybus system
Menarini trolleybus 039 at Piazzale Barbieri
Operation
LocaleParma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Open1953 (1953)
Routes4
Operator(s)TEP (Parma)
Infrastructure
Electrification(?) V DC parallel overhead lines
Statistics
Route length18.6 km (11.6 mi)
Overview
WebsiteTEP (in Italian)
Menarini trolleybus 026 at Piazza Garibaldi, on route 3, in 1997

History

When the Parma trolleybus system commenced operations on 25 October 1953, it consisted of three routes:[1]

  • 1 Stazione FS — Cimitero della Villetta
  • 2 San Leonardo — Via Montebello
  • 3 San Lazzaro — Crocetta

One month later, on 25 November 1953, the trolleybus system's predecessor, the Parma tramway network, was closed.[1]

In 1968, trolleybus route 1 was extended to the cemetery at Orzi di Baganza. In 1972, route 2 was extended, but was also simultaneously converted into a diesel bus route.[2] This has been the only closure of a trolleybus route in Parma.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the trolleybus system was expanded. On 21 November 1987, route 1 was extended from Orzi di Baganza to Strada Farnese.[2] On 14 December 1989, bus route 4 was converted into a trolleybus route.[2][3] And on 5 December 1998, bus route 5 was similarly converted.[2]

Services

The routes comprising the present Parma trolleybus system are:

  • 1 Stazione FS — Strada Farnese
  • 3 San Lazzaro — Crocetta
  • 4 Via Parigi — Via Mordacci
  • 5 Via Orazio — Via Chiavari

Fleet
Autodromo-built trolleybus 045 on route 5
Van Hool ExquiCity 18 trolleybus 5108 on route 5 in 2017

Past fleet

The following trolleybuses previously used in Parma have since been withdrawn from service:

  • 16 Fiat 2401 Cansa delivered 1953, nos. 001-016.
  • 2 Fiat 2411 Cansa delivered 1959/1960, nos. 017-018.
  • 2 Fiat 2411 Cansa delivered 1964, nos. 019-020.
  • 9 Menarini Monocar 201 delivered 1981, nos. 022-030. No. 021 of this series was still in service in 2013.[4]

Current fleet

Parma's current trolleybus fleet is as follows:

  • 1 Menarini Monocar 201 delivered 1981, no. 021; as of 2013, being retained indefinitely as it was found to be useful for de-icing (scraping ice off of the overhead wires) during winter months, when needed.[4]
  • 10 Menarini Monocar 201/2 delivered 1986, nos. 031-040.
  • 14 Autodromo BusOtto low-floor, delivered 1997 (eight vehicles) and 2000, nos. 041-054.
  • 10 Van Hool ExquiCity 18.75-metre (61.5 ft)[4] articulated trolleybuses, built in 2012–13, nos. 5101–5110. The first unit of what was originally an order for nine was delivered in April 2012,[5] and the first vehicles entered on 23 April 2014, normally used on route 5 only.[6] A tenth vehicle, no. 5110, was purchased in 2014.[7] It was Van Hool's prototype ExquiCity trolleybus, built in 2011, before the other Parma ExquiCity units. It was not originally built for Parma, but had been manufactured to the same specifications as used by TEP.[8]

Heritage fleet

Parma trolleybuses nos. 014 and 017 are preserved as heritage vehicles, at the TEP "I° maggio" depot.


See also

References

Notes
  1. "I filobus" [Trolleybuses] (in Italian). TEP. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  2. Gregoris, Paolo; Rizzoli, Francesco; Serra, Claudio (2003). Giro d'Italia in filobus [Tour of Italy by Trolleybus] (in Italian). Cortona: Calosci Editore. p. 171. ISBN 88-7785-193-7.
  3. Trolleybus Magazine No. 171 (May–June 1990), p. 71. National Trolleybus Association (UK). ISSN 0266-7452.
  4. Trolleybus Magazine No. 313 (November–December 2013), p. 22. National Trolleybus Association (UK). ISSN 0266-7452.
  5. Trolleybus Magazine No. 304 (July–August 2012), p. 95. National Trolleybus Association (UK).
  6. Trolleybus Magazine No. 316 (July–August 2014), p. 106. National Trolleybus Association (UK).
  7. Trolleybus Magazine No. 317 (September–October 2014), p. 131.
  8. Trolleybus Magazine No. 318 (November–December 2014), p. 159.

Further reading
  • Gregoris, Paolo; Rizzoli, Francesco; Serra, Claudio (2003). Giro d'Italia in filobus [Tour of Italy by trolleybus] (in Italian). Cortona: Calosci Editore. pp. 171–174. ISBN 88-7785-193-7.

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