Trolleybuses in Urgench
Encyclopedia
The Urgench trolleybus
system links Urgench
, the capital city
of Khorezm Province in western Uzbekistan
, with the neighbouring city of Khiva
. Since the closure of the Tashkent trolleybus system in 2010, it has been Uzbekistan's only trolleybus system.
The cross country line is 36.3 km (22.6 mi) long; a further, urban, line in Urgench has been abandoned.
) and Temir Yul Vokzali (railway station). Urgench thereby became the last city to Uzbekistan in which a trolleybus system was opened. In 1998 came the overland line 2 to Khiva, near the border with Turkmenistan
, to complete the expansion of the trolleybus system.
As early as 2002, the urban line 1 was closed. Since then, only the overland line 2 has remained.
On 26 October 2009, the Government of Uzbekistan decided to close the remaining trolleybus systems in Jizzakh
and Namangan
at the end of 2009, and in the capital Tashkent
during 2010. The Urgench system was the only one not slated for closure; instead of that, nine new trolleybuses were to be procured.
Since then, a short extension section in Khiva, including a link to a depot, has been under construction, with commissioning scheduled for summer 2010.
Line 2 essentially follows the course of the Urgench–Khiva road. In the city centres of Urgench and Khiva, the route followed by this line is determined by one-way streets.
The Aeroport terminus, which operates only when required, is located just outside Urgench Airport.
The Khiva terminus is on the northern edge of the Itchan Kala
fortress (now a World Heritage Site
), east of its north gate. West of the fortress is another, unused, short section of overhead wire, with a loop at the west gate. This section is not connected by switches with the regularly used section, but can be used to short cut the regular round trip.
Another, not yet operational section (not shown on the map), branches off immediately after the Khiva terminus, but is not yet connected with the rest of the system.
delivered six 14Tr trolleybuses with the numbers 001 to 006, and three more modern 14TrM trolleybuses numbered 007 to 009. They had been manufactured in the Škoda factory in Ostrov nad Ohri
in the Czech Republic
.
The primary external difference between the 14Trs and the 14TrMs is the matrix display on the latter model's front. In Urgench, this display is not used to show destinations.
As at 2010, all nine vehicles were still in service.
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 links Urgench
Urgench
Urgench is a city in western Uzbekistan. It is the capital of the Khorezm Province, on the Amu Darya River and the Shavat canal. The city is situated 450 km west of Bukhara across the Kyzyl Kum Desert. It is located at latitude 41° 32' 60N longitude 60° 37' 60E, at an altitude of 91 meters.The...
, the capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of Khorezm Province in western Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, with the neighbouring city of Khiva
Khiva
Khiva is a city of approximately 50,000 people located in Xorazm Province, Uzbekistan. It is the former capital of Khwarezmia and the Khanate of Khiva...
. Since the closure of the Tashkent trolleybus system in 2010, it has been Uzbekistan's only trolleybus system.
The cross country line is 36.3 km (22.6 mi) long; a further, urban, line in Urgench has been abandoned.
History
On 20 October 1997, urban trolleybuses came to Urgench, with the inauguration of line 1 between Aeroport (Urgench AirportUrgench Airport
-Airlines and destinations:...
) and Temir Yul Vokzali (railway station). Urgench thereby became the last city to Uzbekistan in which a trolleybus system was opened. In 1998 came the overland line 2 to Khiva, near the border with Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
, to complete the expansion of the trolleybus system.
As early as 2002, the urban line 1 was closed. Since then, only the overland line 2 has remained.
On 26 October 2009, the Government of Uzbekistan decided to close the remaining trolleybus systems in Jizzakh
Jizzakh
Jizzakh is a city and the center of Jizzakh Province in Uzbekistan, northeast of Samarkand.Jizzakh was an important Silk Road junction on the road connecting Samarkand with Fergana Valley...
and Namangan
Namangan
Namangan is the third-largest city in Uzbekistan . It is the capital of Namangan Province, in the northern edge of Fergana Valley of north-eastern Uzbekistan.-Geography:...
at the end of 2009, and in the capital Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
during 2010. The Urgench system was the only one not slated for closure; instead of that, nine new trolleybuses were to be procured.
Since then, a short extension section in Khiva, including a link to a depot, has been under construction, with commissioning scheduled for summer 2010.
Lines
The short section of the overhead wire from the city centre to the railway station (Temir Yul Vokzali), previously served only by line 1, has been dismantled.Line 2 essentially follows the course of the Urgench–Khiva road. In the city centres of Urgench and Khiva, the route followed by this line is determined by one-way streets.
The Aeroport terminus, which operates only when required, is located just outside Urgench Airport.
The Khiva terminus is on the northern edge of the Itchan Kala
Itchan Kala
Itchan Kala is the walled inner town of the city of Khiva, Uzbekistan. Since 1990, it has been protected as the World Heritage Site.The old town retains more than 50 historic monuments and 250 old houses, dating primarily from the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries...
fortress (now a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
), east of its north gate. West of the fortress is another, unused, short section of overhead wire, with a loop at the west gate. This section is not connected by switches with the regularly used section, but can be used to short cut the regular round trip.
Another, not yet operational section (not shown on the map), branches off immediately after the Khiva terminus, but is not yet connected with the rest of the system.
Fleet
For the opening of the system in 1997, ŠkodaŠkoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
delivered six 14Tr trolleybuses with the numbers 001 to 006, and three more modern 14TrM trolleybuses numbered 007 to 009. They had been manufactured in the Škoda factory in Ostrov nad Ohri
Ostrov (Karlovy Vary District)
Ostrov , is a town in the Carlsbad Region, Czech Republic. It is located at a foothill of the Ore Mountains about 10 km northeast of Karlovy Vary and has a population of 16,999 ....
in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
The primary external difference between the 14Trs and the 14TrMs is the matrix display on the latter model's front. In Urgench, this display is not used to show destinations.
As at 2010, all nine vehicles were still in service.
Depot
The system's depot is in Urgench. It is connected with the operating lines by a service line approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) long. However, there are no switches between the service line and the operating lines.See also
- List of trolleybus systems
- Trolleybuses in former Soviet Union countriesTrolleybuses in former Soviet Union countriesThe first trolleybus vehicle in Russia was built in Saint Petersburg in 1902 at Frese machine-building factory. It utilised a carriage-type current collector like the early von Siemens prototypes. There was no attempt to organize passenger or cargo services at this time.The first operational...