Brno: Two oldest cars, No. 1506 a 1508 (built 1963) were withdrawn. Two cars from same year are however still in service as workcars, 4123 ex. 1504 and 4124 ex.1502. Refurbishment of K2 tramcars is still in progress, another 4 cars were completed, two of them (1024 a 1042) have electric equipment Alstom Progress, while 1033 and 1054 have equipment ČKD TV-14.

Trolleybus Škoda 21Tr 3008 is from 22.5.2000 loaned back to Škoda Ostrov and is now on tests in varied cities in Lithuania and Latvia. It is expected to return car back until 31st August.

Refurbishment of 14Tr trolleybuses to 14TrM type is in progress. Finished was car No.3230, now is on refurbishment car 3221, car 3219 should follow. Another cars from 3240-3249 batch should be later refurbished too.

Due to road works are now trolleybus line 134 and 136 diverted to run across road „Tabor“. It is for second time, when this short route is used for passenger service (for first time it was shortly after opening in 1995)

 

 

Děčín: 50th anniversary of urban transport service in city were celebrated on 1st and 2nd July. As a remembrance of trolleybus service between 1950-1973 was in area of modern bus depot displayed trolleybus Skoda 9Tr from Teplice (105).

As a major part of event was a bus parade. Varied traditional historic and modern buses from Czech republic were displayed, and also several international guests were presents here. From Germany there was historic bus NAG/Büssing 900N from Dresden (No.4 built 1938), low floor articulated Mercedes O-405GN also from Dresden and a modern double decker MAN from Berlin. Another three ex-british historic buses (that are for long time on loan in Czech republic) were presented here. All these cars were in service on varied special lines across Děčín and surrounding areas.

 

Hradec Králové: During summer should be in Hradec Králové on tests prototype of Škoda 21TrACI trolleybus from Plzeň (trolleybus with supplementary diesel engine No.479). Undoubtedly, it is hoped to introduce this service on line 1 that is on service also on non-electrified route to Kluky and where is still on service trolleybus with attached diesel engine.

 

Jablonec nad Nisou: Mystery of car No.182 that should be built in 1932 but it has plate says that car was built in 1903 was solved. This plate was taken from one of cars 17-22 (built 1903), and on car 182 was just temporarily attached sometimes shortly before closure, probably for some internal accounting reasons. Car 182 was then really build in 1903.

 

Chomutov: Since 30th January is closed major crossing at Palackého street. Trolleybus service on line 20,21,30,31 is suspended and replaced by buses. This crossing will be rebuilt and also new branch route to new central bus station will be built. This trolleybus route will be opened during December 2000. Since that time, there will be direct transfer possibility between trolleybuses and interurban buses.

On 1st July 2000 day of open doors was held in depot as a celebration of 5 years of trolleybus service. At same moment, plans for future network extension were introduced. There is planned to built new route to newly built shopping area in west of city and is hoped to open this route in 2002. At same year, purchase of three Škoda 21Tr cars is planned.

 

Liberec: Low floor car RT6S No. 85 was surprisingly returned back to service much earlier than expected – already on 1st July, but since 22nd July is due to technical problems back out of service

 

Ostrava: Between 16. and 17.6. was celebrated 40 years of existence of depot in Poruba (which is still second-youngest depot in Czech republic!). At this day was possible to visit depot, where varied historic, modern and work cars were displayed. Additional there was service of historic cars to Zatisi. Newly was presented T2 car No.681 that was restored back to state in early 80’s and is therefore 3rd museum car of this type in Czech republic

There is already in passenger service modernized T3 car 1016 with electric equipment Alsthom Progress.

Trolleybuses Škoda 14Tr No. 3223 a 3224 were withdrawn.

 

Plzeň: On 18th July was close to endstation of trolleybus line 11 opened new hypermarket Tesco. It was planned, that line 11 will be extended for about 200 meters to reach better this building, but it was not done yet. Anyway, amount of passenger of this line is now significantly higher. For that reason, articulated cars 15Tr are partly in service on that line.  Although there is summer (reduced) service, but there is not enough 15Tr cars to serve both lines 11 and 16, so on both lines also short 14Tr cars are in service. Since September will be this service even more problematic, because even more trolleybuses will be needed. Solution is not yet known, it was announced that there are no funds to purchase additional articulated trolleybuses this year.

At this moment, there are prepared some streets for possible new trolleybus lines. Poles are erected, electricity is partly ready, but there are no overhead wires yet. Plans for new trolleybus routes are now very chaotic, so is not possible to say, when (and if ever!) trolleybus service will be introduced here.

Overview of routes:

  1. New bridge across river Radbuza southern of main railway station
  2. street U Trati, extension from new bridge (1)
  3. Folmavska street at Borske pole area (extension of 1 and 2)
  4. Rooseweltova st. (project of route to Vinice)
  5. Namesti republiky (Republic Square), extension of 4
  6. Franitskanska st. (city center)
  7. Otylie Beniskove street
  8. area of Tesco (planned extension to hypermarket Tesco)

 

Praha: Slowly, but surely continues finishing of metro track IV.B. On 27th June was opened 2nd entrance to station Vysočanská and on 12th July was completed metro-bridge between Rajska Zahrada and Černý Most. This “bridge” (it is however a tube, same as close to Luziny) has also a promenade of top. There are still in progress some works in surrounding area of stations, but these should be finished until end of summer. There is still need to open station ČKD (that was meanwhile officially named as Kolbenova). This opening is planned (but not confirmed!) for next year.

There is some optimism about extension of C line in northern direction. Now is clear that construction will take place in two stages, first one (named now as IV.C-1) should include construction of 4.7 km track to station Ladvi, where after station Nadrazi Holesovice (current endstation) will be tunnel under river, and planned station Troja will not be built. There will be only one intermediate station, Kobyliske namesti. Second part (formerly V.C, now IV.C-2) will be extension in east direction across housing estate Prosek to new exhibition area Letnany. There should be two intermediate stations (temporarily now named Prosek I and Prosek II.). Both parts should be built to save high costs. Therefore, in stations Ladvi, Prosek I. and II. should be side platforms only. Only in endstation Letnany should be more sophisticated track with total of three platforms (to handle expected rush hours in times of service of exhibition area).

It is hoped to open part IV.C-1 in 2004 and part IV.C-2 in 2006, but is not much expected that this will be finished. Another possibility is future extension from Letnany northern to future planned urban, suburban and railway terminal in Cakovice, but this is nothing more than a vision and is not possible to expect opening before 2015.

Unfortunately, it looks that planned new tramway route to Bohnice (that should link this large housing area with this new metro line) will be not built. Former project expected construction of this route and is now said, that project was abandoned just because few citizens of that area were afraid by some trees that are now located in area of future tramway route. There is need to mention, than in past was expected to serve Bohnice with metroline too, later was project converted to tramway and now it looks that only bus service remain… It was announced that there is possibility to build new trolleybus network in that area, but also these plans were rejected.

In depot Hloubetin are now replaced track and depot is closed at this time. Also, another depot in Motol is disconnected from rest of track, because of closure of tramway line in Plzenska street. For that reason, some big temporary transfers of tramways were done. This caused for example service of KT8 cars on line 4,11,17, T6 cars are now stored in Vokovice and are on service for example on lines 22,23,26. Total chaos…

 

 

Slovakia – Bratislava: Modernized cars K2S are in service on lines 3,5,11, modernized cars T3S on line 4. There is already 5 K2S cars and four T3S cars.

 

Slovakia – Košice: Modernized car 359 was returned back to Košice and is now tested without passengers in a city.