SOR to deliver four battery trolleybuses with Cegelec electrical equipment to Prešov

On October 14, 2022 , the transport company of the Slovak city of Prešov (Dopravný podnik mesta Prešov; DPMP) signed a contract with the Czech bus manufacturer SOR Libchavy for the delivery of four 12-m trolleybuses SOR TNS 12 with traction batteries (in-motion charging). The electrical equipment will be supplied by the Prague company Cegelec.

Trolleybus transport has been part of the eastern Slovakian city of Prešov for 60 years. Trolleybuses first transported passengers here on May 13, 1962, and since then trolleybuses have gradually become the backbone of public transport.  In light of the trolleybus’ undoubted ecological and economic advantages, the city is looking to further develop its public transportation system to include the trolleybus with traction batteries in an effort to then serve those parts of the route without overhead lines.

The Czech bus manufacturer SOR Libchavy was successful in the tender for the trolleybuses delivery. The company has offered four trolleybuses worth €1.845 million. Although the formal victory of the East Bohemian manufacturer had been announced earlier, the actual signing of the contract could only take place after the funds for co-financing the purchase of trolleybuses from the EU were finally confirmed.

“For us, the order from DPMP is a continuation of the successful cooperation from previous years. In the spring we completed the delivery of 15 new diesel buses; in July we successfully completed the tender for the delivery of five small electric buses.  Now we will enter with our trolleybuses, which are already being produced in the version of the NS model”, said Filip Murgaš, Sales Director and one of the managing directors of SOR Libchavy.

The electrical equipment for the Prešov project will be supplied by the Prague company Cegelec. “The expansion of trolleybus traffic is the correct and long-term sustainable way to reduce emissions in public transport. We are very happy that in addition to the order for Bratislava, we were successful in introducing our solution of the new electrical equipment, Cegelec Alva, in another Slovakian city,” said Miroslav Opa, Director of Cegelec.

The traction battery will enable a journey of up to 12 km without overhead lines, and the vehicles will also be equipped with air conditioning in the passenger compartment, USB charging ports, a modern information and check-in system and a camera system. The cars should be delivered by the end of 2023.

Currently, Prešov plans to use of 12 m long trolleybuses on bus lines No. 11, 15, 22 and 36.