As in many other Italian cities, the trolleybus gradually replaced the tramway as Verona’s principal mode of public transport during the 1940s and 1950s. Both an urban and an interurban trolleybus network were developed and remained in operation until 1975 and 1981 respectively.
Now the trolleybus is making a comeback in a modern form, this time as a contemporary Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system featuring a high proportion of segregated alignments that will allow fast and unobstructed operation, separated from general road traffic. Battery trolleybuses will be employed, capable of operating over substantial sections of the route without overhead wiring in battery mode. Their traction batteries are recharged while running underneath the limited sections of overhead line infrastructure.
This approach saves charging time and allows the use of lighter and smaller energy storage systems than would be required for purely battery-electric buses, making the overall system more energy-efficient. Continuous charging throughout the day also helps to avoid high peak loads on the electricity supply network.
Plans to establish such a system in Verona date back more than 20 years. However, lengthy planning, decision-making and approval processes, together with funding issues arising from changing political majorities at regional level, prevented rapid implementation. Construction work on the infrastructure, including a completely new depot, has now been underway for some time, and in June 2026 the first of 39 articulated trolleybuses of the “lighTram®19” type, built by Swiss manufacturer HESS and originally promoted as “Swisstrolley 5” model, finally arrived in Verona.
The vehicles had already been ordered in 2019 but could not all be delivered because construction of the infrastructure was delayed. A pre-series vehicle had already undertaken test runs in Biel, Switzerland, in March 2020. Six vehicles have spent recent months undergoing testing on the network of the Bologna public transport operator, and these are now being transferred to Verona. The first two have been located at the site of the new future depot since 11 June 2026.
The vehicles are 18.7 metres long and can accommodate more than 140 passengers. The electrical equipment is supplied by Kiepe Electric, whose trolleybus division was acquired by HESS a few months ago, as reported here: https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/carve-out-completed-hess-takes-over-the-trolleybus-business-from-kiepe/
It is now hoped that construction will continue to progress swiftly so that the opening of at least the first section, which has already been postponed several times, can take place before the end of 2026. A total of four routes are planned for the new “Filovia Verona” network.
The overall project is estimated to require investment of approximately EUR 150 million and is being financed to a significant extent through funding from the national government in Rome (EUR 14 mn) as well as support from the European Investment Bank EIB (EUR 62 mn).
