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111th anniversary of public transport in Jihlava

Jihlava: Skoda 8Tr on loan from Pardubice, Skoda 706 RO from Brno, and a new Solaris Urbino 12 CNG | © Martin Harak

Public transport services were offered to the population of the Czech town of Jihlava for the first time on 26 August 1909, when the single, metre-gauge tram line between the relatively distant main railway station and the main square started operations. The length of the route was only 2.7 kilometers. The tram was replaced by trolleybuses in 1948. Today, 6 lines including a circle line provide electric trolleybus services to the 50,000 inhabitants of the city.

Jihlava trolleybus 79 (Škoda Electric 26Tr), behind a Škoda 706 RTO, Masarykovo nam-dolni | © Martin Harák
Škoda 8 Tr from Pardubice and Škoda 7 Tr from Brno | © Martin Harák

The commemorative event for the 111th anniversary of urban transport in Jilhava was prepared both by Jihlava Transport Company (DPMJ) and the city administration for the weekend of 19 and 20 September. The biggest attraction undoubtedly were the so-called “retro trips” starting at the main square (Masarykovo nám.) – historic buses and trolleybuses rode a round trip through the city center every 5 minutes. The shown vehicles were either on loan from the National Technical Museum (TMB) in Brno or from the public transport companies in Brno, Zlan and Pardubice. All bus and trolleybus models in use in Jihlava since the 1950s, were represented, i.e. Škoda 7 Tr, 8 Tr, 9 Tr, 14 Tr and 21 Tr trolleybuses and Škoda 706 RO, RTO, Karosa ŠM 11 and 731 and Ikarus 280 diesel buses. Other historic vehicles were exhibited at Masarykovo nám., namely a Škoda 706 RTO motorbus with a passenger trailer Jelcz P-01E, several Karosa 11 series and an articulated trolleybus Škoda 15 Tr. In addition to historic vehicles, visitors not only from the Czech Republic, but also from abroad, were able to see an exhibition on the history of transport in the Museum of Vysosina Jihlava.

The new Solaris Urbino IV 12 CNG buses were also in operation, as were three “pure” trolleybuses based on the SOR NS 12 (No. 91-93), as well as seven similar vehicles with additional traction batteries for off-wire operation (No. 10-16). These hybrid trolleybuses will now be used on the extended line C from the Béezinova loop to Kaufland and, after the construction of the catenary in Sokolovska Street will be completed in 2022, they will service a part of the current bus line 12, which will run to Červený Kříž, Antonínův Důl and Pávov.

Skoda 7Tr4 on loan ex Brno | © Martin Harák
Jihlava no. 93 (Škoda Electric 32Tr), no. 88 (Škoda Electric 26Tr) and no. 3045 on loan from Brno (Škoda Electric 21Tr) | © Martin Harák
Ikarus 280 of ZHTA Jihlava and Škoda 8Tr on loan from Pardubice, in the back Škoda Electric 21Tr from Brno | © Martin Harák
Škoda 9 Tr on loan froms Pardubice | © Martin Harák
Jihlava no. 12, one of the new Škoda Electric 32 Tr hybrid-trolleybuses | © Martin Harák
29.09.2020
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