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| Double-articulated trolleybus update filed on: 24.10.2005 (24th Oct 2005) An article in VBZ's staff magazine, Regenbogen, presents interesting background information on the acquisition of double articulated trolleybuses (Megatrolleybus) by Zürich. Trolleybus route 31 is already loaded to capacity for much of the day. New urban regeneration projects will bring even more traffic into this corridor. Simply raising the service frequency is not a solution because under heavy traffic, overloaded vehicles tend to group into "packets" with unsatisfactorily long gaps in between. Only higher capacity trolleybuses can provide the necessary relief. In a second phase (circa 2015), conversion of this corridor to tram operation will provide a further capacity boost. The double-articulated trolleybuses will then be cascaded onto route 32. VBZ's 17 double articulated trolleybuses are being built by Hess with electrical equipment by Vossloh-Kiepe. They will enter service in 2007. The interior of the new trolleybuses will be designed with sight-impaired passengers in mind. Also, the front door will be narrower than on previous buses. This will permit the front seats — often favourised by older people — to be positioned at low-floor level. The asynchronous motors that will power the buses will also be quieter than on previous generations. A Genève vehicle underwent night-time tests in Zürich in July 2004. The performance of this vehicle impressed VBZ staff and did not reveal any significant incompatibilities, although a number of minor infrastructure modifications were identified and are being addressed. Another TPG trolleybus will visit Zürich in 2006 and be used in service for an extended period to more fully evaluate its suitability. In the unlikely case of unresolvable problems being encountered, the order for 17 double articulated vehicles will be changed to 20 single articulated trolleybuses. source: Pro Trolleybus See also:
This news item is from the 2005 newslog.
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