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Trieste: one of the greatest trolleybus net.
Early in 1935 the first 5
two axled trolleybuses, built by Miani &
Silvestri, ran the new line no.12, called "of the hills", from
Piazza Goldoni, through San Vito to Campo Marzio (today line no. 15).
Three years later, with 5 new Alfa Romeo 85 with Macchi body, the tramway
no. 4 was converted in trolleys. So, the first trolleybuses begun to run in
the region.
In 1942, the good
results of this new way of transport convinced to buy further vehicles:
10 Alfa Romeo 800 with Garavini body.
Also line no. 10 left
tram in favour of faster and flexible
trolleybus.
The American bombardment of 1944 caused the temporary suspension of the
service all over Trieste, but in 3 years all the lines were gradually
repaired.
In 7 years, from 1949 till 1956, 56 new vehicles Alfa Romeo 140 with 3 axles,
2 Fiat 672 and 6
Alfa Romeo 900 with 2 axles, were added: they substituted other tramways and
served the new link to Muggia.
The new line no. 20 (Central station - Muggia) was built with modern
concepts for cables suspension and became an example for a lot of other
cities in Italy and in the rest of Europe.
During the sixties, Trieste knew the expansion of its eastern suburbs and
this fact, with high maintenance costs, increasing salaries and some "political"
reason, caused the progressive abandonment of trolleybuses in favour of
buses.
In 1961, line no. 21 (Station - Borgo San Sergio) was dismantled after only
7 months of service;
then, in 1963, line no. 18.
In 1968, 40 new buses "killed"
definitively the first trolleybus line (no. 15) and lines no. 16 and 17
(to University).
Other 60 buses arrived in 1969-70, and further 75 in 1972-73, completed to
cancel trolleys, excepting some occasional ran on line no. 19 (the last one
was on 12th april 1975).
In the meanwhile, the
municipal company ACEGAT decided to sell to the city of Salerno (Campania)
25 trolleybuses (from year 1971 till 1973). These vehicles continued their
service until 1980.
Since then, new technologies seemed to develop only buses; this made
trolleybuses old and uncomfortable. Only in the last years, some ecological
ways of thinking are bringing new ideas about alternative transportation
systems, where trolleybuses can represent a solution.
For these reasons, ACT (now
Trieste Trasporti) tried to experiment the Stream (electric transportation
system with magnetic attraction), which is more or less a trolleybus without
the trolleys...
This useful experience can bring Trieste to new and lasting decisions...
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