Trolleybuses in La Spezia
Encyclopedia
The La Spezia trolleybus
system forms part of the public transport
network of the city and comune
of La Spezia
, in the region
of Liguria
, northern Italy
.
In operation since 1951, the current system presently comprises one urban route. Previously, at the start of the twentieth century, La Spezia was served by a pioneering experimental system.
. It was an experimental line, one of the first to be built in Italy, and was served by Omnibus Turrinelli vehicles numbered from 31 to 34.
After World War II
, trolleybuses returned to town in a more modern form, to replace the tram system that had become obsolete. La Spezia's first regular trolleybus line entered service in 1951. It was operated with Fiat 668 model trolleybuses bodied by Viberti
, and with electrical equipment by Ansaldo
. Numbered 201 to 213, they were 10 m (32.8 ft) long, had a central driving position, and their maximum speed was 52 km/h (32.3 mph).
In 1953, another four trolleybuses of the same model were added to the fleet. They were numbered from 214 to 217. In the same year, nine Alfa Romeo
900 AF vehicles, bodied by Piaggio
and with Ansaldo electrical equipment, came into circulation in La Spezia. Their fleet numbers were 218 to 226.
In 1954, the then operator of the system, FITRAM, ordered two more trolleybuses, nos 227 and 228, with electrical equipment by Maschine Works Oerlikon from the San Giorgio company in Pistoia
. With a length of 11 meters, and a greater availability of seats (over 28), they were the first trolleybuses in La Spezia to have battery powered autonomous auxiliary equipment located in the underbody, but they were never used on regular shifts. Due to their unsatisfactory cab layout and steering, and low-capacity braking, they were sold during 1959.
Three years earlier, in 1956, Alfa Romeo 910 AF trolleybuses nos 229 and 230 had enriched the trolley fleet, and their use on line 2 until 1978 testifies to their hard work. They were bodied by Officine Meccaniche Pistoiesi, and, as usual, electrical equipment was by Ansaldo.
In 1963, SEAC of Carmagnola
created nine Alfa Romeo 1000 AF trolleybuses for La Spezia. With Ansaldo electrical components and Tubocar bodies, they were numbered 231 to 240. The Alfa 1000 were still employed on fixed shifts of circular line 1/3 to the end of the 1970s.
In 1975, trolleybus no 203, with Mauri light aluminum alloy bodywork, was added to the fleet. This experiment was extended to the 668 Vibertis that had never received attention, nor revisions: nos 209 and 214. In 1977, four more vehicles, nos 241 to 244, were purchased from AMT in Genoa
. Again, these were Fiat 668 Mauris. With the closure of line 2 in 1978, the Alfas nos 900 and 910, and the remaining 668 Vibertis, were scrapped. The trolleybuses still circulating were nos 203, 209, 214, and 231 to 244.
After a final period of agony with the limitation of the service only to the morning hours, the trolleybus service was suspended in 1985, for asphalting work on Via Chiodo. It was restored three years later, on 26 November 1988, with the arrival of new Breda
vehicles, numbered from 801 to 814, following the presentation, on 19 December 1987, of the prototype, no 800. The new vehicles, with their wide technological gap due to air conditioning in summer, space for the inclusion of an independent brand of auxiliary motor, and a capacity of 112 (20 seats, 91 standing and 1 driver), had a greatly positive impact: they are all still in service to this day.
In 1998, the network was reorganized, with the activation of the new trunk line Canaletto–Bragarina, and the separation of lines 1 and 3 after 30 years of operation as a circular line.
In 2005, due to work on line 3 in Corso Nazionale and near Piazzale Ferro, trolleybus services were suspended between Chiappa and Canaletto and replaced by buses on a single line 3 Chiappa–Felettino. Between 2005 and 2007, the trolleybuses were circulating at a record low: only three daily on line 1 Pegazzano–Bragarina at a frequency of one every 20 minutes.
On 30 March 2007, the inaugural run of line 1 took place to the new terminus at Palaspezia. From 12 May 2007 to 11 September 2008, trolleybuses operated alternatively either to the terminus at Bragarina, or to the new one at Palaspezia at a frequency of one every 10 minutes. From 12 September 2008 to 31 March 2011, line 1 effectively operated only between Pegazzano and Bragarina, at 12 minute intervals with six cars on the road. From 1 April 2011, with the introduction of the new timetable, trolleybuses are circulating once again three at a time, every 20 minutes, as in 2006.
This article is based upon a translation of the Italian language version as at August 2011.
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
system forms part of the public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
network of the city and comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
, in the region
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
of Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
, northern Italy
Northwest Italy
Northwest Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency...
.
In operation since 1951, the current system presently comprises one urban route. Previously, at the start of the twentieth century, La Spezia was served by a pioneering experimental system.
History
The first, pioneering, trolleybus service in La Spezia was active between 1906 and 1909, and ran from the city centre to Fezzano, on the road to PortovenerePortovenere
Porto Venere is a town and comune located on the Ligurian coast of Italy in the province of La Spezia. It comprises the three villages of Fezzano, Le Grazie and Porto Venere, and the three islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto...
. It was an experimental line, one of the first to be built in Italy, and was served by Omnibus Turrinelli vehicles numbered from 31 to 34.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, trolleybuses returned to town in a more modern form, to replace the tram system that had become obsolete. La Spezia's first regular trolleybus line entered service in 1951. It was operated with Fiat 668 model trolleybuses bodied by Viberti
Viberti
Officine Viberti was an Italian manufacturer of trailers, coach and bus bodies and mopeds, better known by its integral Monotral chassisless self-supporting coaches and buses. It was based in Turin...
, and with electrical equipment by Ansaldo
Gio. Ansaldo & C.
Ansaldo was one of Italy's oldest and most important engineering companies, existing for 140 years from 1853 to 1993.-From foundation to World War I:...
. Numbered 201 to 213, they were 10 m (32.8 ft) long, had a central driving position, and their maximum speed was 52 km/h (32.3 mph).
In 1953, another four trolleybuses of the same model were added to the fleet. They were numbered from 214 to 217. In the same year, nine Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
900 AF vehicles, bodied by Piaggio
Piaggio
Piaggio based in Pontedera, Italy encompasses seven brands of scooters, motorcycles and compact commercial vehicles. As the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world, Piaggio produces more than 600,000 vehicles annually, with five research and development centers, more than...
and with Ansaldo electrical equipment, came into circulation in La Spezia. Their fleet numbers were 218 to 226.
In 1954, the then operator of the system, FITRAM, ordered two more trolleybuses, nos 227 and 228, with electrical equipment by Maschine Works Oerlikon from the San Giorgio company in Pistoia
Pistoia
Pistoia is a city and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno.-History:...
. With a length of 11 meters, and a greater availability of seats (over 28), they were the first trolleybuses in La Spezia to have battery powered autonomous auxiliary equipment located in the underbody, but they were never used on regular shifts. Due to their unsatisfactory cab layout and steering, and low-capacity braking, they were sold during 1959.
Three years earlier, in 1956, Alfa Romeo 910 AF trolleybuses nos 229 and 230 had enriched the trolley fleet, and their use on line 2 until 1978 testifies to their hard work. They were bodied by Officine Meccaniche Pistoiesi, and, as usual, electrical equipment was by Ansaldo.
In 1963, SEAC of Carmagnola
Carmagnola
Carmagnola is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located 29 km south of Turin. As of July 11, 2007, it had a population of 27,043 and an area of 96.4 km²....
created nine Alfa Romeo 1000 AF trolleybuses for La Spezia. With Ansaldo electrical components and Tubocar bodies, they were numbered 231 to 240. The Alfa 1000 were still employed on fixed shifts of circular line 1/3 to the end of the 1970s.
In 1975, trolleybus no 203, with Mauri light aluminum alloy bodywork, was added to the fleet. This experiment was extended to the 668 Vibertis that had never received attention, nor revisions: nos 209 and 214. In 1977, four more vehicles, nos 241 to 244, were purchased from AMT in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. Again, these were Fiat 668 Mauris. With the closure of line 2 in 1978, the Alfas nos 900 and 910, and the remaining 668 Vibertis, were scrapped. The trolleybuses still circulating were nos 203, 209, 214, and 231 to 244.
After a final period of agony with the limitation of the service only to the morning hours, the trolleybus service was suspended in 1985, for asphalting work on Via Chiodo. It was restored three years later, on 26 November 1988, with the arrival of new Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
vehicles, numbered from 801 to 814, following the presentation, on 19 December 1987, of the prototype, no 800. The new vehicles, with their wide technological gap due to air conditioning in summer, space for the inclusion of an independent brand of auxiliary motor, and a capacity of 112 (20 seats, 91 standing and 1 driver), had a greatly positive impact: they are all still in service to this day.
In 1998, the network was reorganized, with the activation of the new trunk line Canaletto–Bragarina, and the separation of lines 1 and 3 after 30 years of operation as a circular line.
In 2005, due to work on line 3 in Corso Nazionale and near Piazzale Ferro, trolleybus services were suspended between Chiappa and Canaletto and replaced by buses on a single line 3 Chiappa–Felettino. Between 2005 and 2007, the trolleybuses were circulating at a record low: only three daily on line 1 Pegazzano–Bragarina at a frequency of one every 20 minutes.
On 30 March 2007, the inaugural run of line 1 took place to the new terminus at Palaspezia. From 12 May 2007 to 11 September 2008, trolleybuses operated alternatively either to the terminus at Bragarina, or to the new one at Palaspezia at a frequency of one every 10 minutes. From 12 September 2008 to 31 March 2011, line 1 effectively operated only between Pegazzano and Bragarina, at 12 minute intervals with six cars on the road. From 1 April 2011, with the introduction of the new timetable, trolleybuses are circulating once again three at a time, every 20 minutes, as in 2006.
Services
In the years since its establishment, the current system has had three lines. Their present status is:- 1 - Pegazzano – via Chiodo – Canaletto – Bragarina;
- 2 - Closed in 1978, upon the integration of long distance buses to Lerici and Portovenere into the urban service;
- 3 - As at 2011, was operated by conventional bus, pending the extension of the overhead wires to the Felettino hospital.
Trolleybus fleet
La Spezia's present trolleybus fleet is made up of only the following type:- Breda 4001.12, entered service in 1988.
See also
- La Spezia Centrale railway stationLa Spezia Centrale railway stationLa Spezia Centrale railway station is the main station of La Spezia, situated in the Piazza Medaglie d’Oro in the city centre.-Overview:It is the largest of four stations in the municipal area...
- List of trolleybus systems in Italy
External links
This article is based upon a translation of the Italian language version as at August 2011.