Between 8th and 11th April 2025 Athens’ public transport company O.SY hosted the UITP’s 42nd Trolleybus Committee meeting. Trolleybus officials from almost all over the world came together to discuss technical as well as economic questions of today’s trolleybus development and trends – especially the high potentials of IMC trolleybuses with the worldwide Green Deal. O.SY as an important trolleybus operator was a perfect host for the international trolleybus community.
At the conference there were the first trolleybus generation – represented by trolleybus 704 (Fiat/CGE – 1939) as well as trolleybus 8064 (Neoplan/Kiepe – 2004) just coming from refit in O.SY`s workshops.
The Athens operation
The city of Athens can be proud to operate one of the most extensive trolleybus networks in Europe. With a joint network of Athens and the neighbouring city of Piraeus the trolleybuses offer beside Metro, Rapid Transit Lines and tram a silent and efficent public transport in an area with a population of about 4 million. Some up-to- date figures of this impressive electric bus system:
- Lines: 20 (together with Piräus)
- Network: 224 km
- Fleet: 197 trolleybuses
- Depots: 4 (together with Piräus)
- Average travel speed: 13.9 km/h
- Passengers: 38.000.000 /Year
- Staff: 641
Beside some historic trolleybuses for special events or awaiting restoration, the current fleet is composed of:
- Serie 6000 : Neoplan/Kiepe – 1999/2000 – 37 trolleybuses in operation
- Serie 7000: VanHool/ Alstom – 1999/2001 – 54 trolleybuses in operation
- Serie 8000: Neoplan/Kiepe – 2004 – 64 trolleybuses in operation
- Serie 9000: Neoplan/Kiepe – 2004 – 42 trolleybuses in operation (articulated)
For daily operation 117 trolleybuses are needed on weekdays, 86 on Saturdays and 60 for Sunday service.
Articulated trolleybus 9029 ( Neoplan/Kiepe) on a depot run at Andrea Sygrou Avenue I © Gunter Mackinger
The first trolleybus line in Athens opened in 1953 and since 1988 there are links between the systems in Athens and Piraes. In the last years much was done by trolleybus management and staff to modernize the infrastructure as well keeping the ageing fleet in good condition. All frogs and crossings were rebuilt with Electroline (CZ) parts, and trolleybuses will get a general overhaul which they leave as new. It is hoped that politicians recognize the importance of this electric bus system and give funds to further develop it as it occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. The next steps towards the future of the system are planned:
- purchase of 175 new trolleybuses with IMC technique
- upgrading 42 substations
- replacement of 1500 old poles in the network
There is hope that Athens’ trolleybuses run into a bright future as a form of real electromobility – so necessary in this Megapolis of Attica .
