Prague presents first 24-meter trolleybus for airport line
The same trolleybus for Bratislava arrived in Pilsen for electrical installation.
The Prague transport company (Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy, DPP) has published the first photos of the new Škoda Solaris 24 trolleybus after an inspection day in Bolechov, Poland. Prague will be the second city where this high-capacity trolleybus will operate. The same trolleybus for Bratislava is a few weeks ahead in production.
The Škoda–Solaris consortium was awarded the contract for 20 high-capacity trolleybuses worth EUR 26 million in February 2022. The vehicles will run on line 119 from Nádraží Veleslavín to Václav Havel Airport. The line is currently under construction.
This is the first order for double-articulated trolleybuses in the Czech Republic. The chassis and complete bodywork will be manufactured by the Polish-Spanish company Solaris Bus & Coach, while the electric traction equipment, including electric motors, will be supplied by Škoda Electric of Škoda Transportation Group.
The fully low-floor, double-articulated battery-powered trolleybus with five double doors and full-car air conditioning can carry up to 179 passengers. The vehicle has four axles with second- and third-axle drive. The entire passenger standing area is 100% low-floor, and the passageways inside the vehicle are step-free. Steps under the seats are minimized to ensure maximum accessibility.
The vehicle has a seating capacity of 52. The lighting of the passenger compartment and the exterior lighting of the vehicle use LED technology. The second door area is designed to accommodate two baby carriages, or two wheelchairs, or one baby carriage and one wheelchair. These compartments are standardly equipped with a wheelchair fastening and attachment device, a folding backrest, and a backrest plate.
The warranty period for the new double-articulated trolleybuses is eight years, except for the traction batteries which have a warranty period of fifteen years. During this warranty period, the vehicle must be able to travel at least 11 km on the traction battery with heating or air conditioning under all operating and climatic conditions of the capital.
An identical trolleybus for Dopravný podnik Bratislava (DPB) arrived in Plzeň from Poland. The Slovak operator ordered sixteen vehicles a few weeks later than DPP; they will run on line 71. The electrical equipment will be assembled in Plzeň.
Škoda-Solaris 24m trolleybus basic technical data
Length: 24 700 mm
Width: 2 550 mm
Height: 3 500 mm (with the collectors removed)
Wheelbase: front 5 900 mm / middle 6 000 mm / rear 7 350 mm
Maximum total weight: 38 000 kg
Maximum speed: 70 km/h
Number of axles: 4
Number of driven axles: 2 (second and third)
Number of steered axles: 2 (front and rear)
Number of doors for entry and exit: 5
Entry height: 320 mm
Number of passenger seats: 52
Maximum number of passengers: 179
Number of engines: 2
Traction electric motor power: 160 kW
Traction battery capacity: 60 kWh
More photos are available here.
Edited and translated by Lucie Trávníčková