Trolleybuses in Geneva

The Geneva trolleybus system () forms part of the public transport network in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the second largest trolleybus system in Switzerland, after the Lausanne system.

Opened in 1942, the system supplements the Geneva tramway network. It is operated by Transports publics genevois (TPG), and currently also serves the neighbouring municipalities of Bernex, Cologny, Confignon, Le Grand-Saconnex, Lancy, Meyrin, Onex and Vernier.

History Geneva's first trolleybus line, inaugurated on 11 September 1942, linked Champel with Le Petit-Saconnex, replacing the former tram line. Like the tramway network, it was operated by the Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE). In subsequent years, other tram lines were closed and replaced with trolleybus lines:

in 1950, line 4; in 1959, line 6; in 1961, line 2.

Additionally, two trolleybus lines replaced former bus lines: in 1950, line 7 to Aïre; in 1959, line 33 to Cointrin.

In 1971, line 4 was closed. On 1 January 1977, the name of the operator, CGTE, was changed to Transports Publics Genevois (TPG). On 25 September 1989, line 5 was merged into line 6. For more than a decade, some services on the extended line 6 were operated by conventional buses (fully trolleybus line 26 was supporting it till Châtelaine), but on 24 June 2001 the line reverted to operation solely by trolleybuses.

Lines Since the reorganisation of Geneva's tram and trolleybus lines on 11 December 2011, the trolleybus lines have been as follows: Genève, Plage – Bernex, Cressy 29 stops Grand-Saconnex, Gardiol – Genève, Crêts-de-Champel 25 stops Vernier, village – Genève, Plage 25 stops Vessy, Grands-Esserts – Vernier, Lignon-Tours 29 stops Genève-Aéroport, Terminal – Genève, Rive 19 stops Vernier, village – Onex, cité 31 stops

Fleet Current fleet Geneva's present trolleybus fleet consists of 94 articulated and ten bi-articulated vehicles:

Fleet nos. Quantity Manufacturer Electrics Type Configuration Low-floor Built 731–768 38 Hess Kiepe BGT-N2C Articulated yes 2004-2005 781–790 10 Hess Kiepe BGGT-N2C Bi-articulated yes 2005–2006 1601–1656 56 Van Hool Kiepe ExquiCity 18 Articulated yes 2014–2021

Past fleet The following table summarises Geneva's former trolleybuses:

Fleet nos. Quantity Manufacturer Electrics Type BuiltOut of service 801–812 12 Saurer / CGTE SAAS Rigid (two-axle) 1942–48 821–835 15 Saurer / Hess SAAS Rigid (two-axle) 1950–51 836–846 11 FBW MFO Rigid (two-axle) 1947 (ex-VBZ) 847–856 10 FBW MFO Rigid (two-axle) 1949–51 (ex-VBZ) 861–878 18 Berna / SWP SAAS Rigid (two-axle) 1959–60 1988Trolleybus Magazine No. 161 (September–October 1988), p. 117. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . 881–892 12 Berliet SAAS Rigid (two-axle) 1963 1975 601–621 21 Berna / SWS SAAS Articulated 1965 1992 631–648 18 FBW / Hess SAAS Articulated 1975 2005Trolleybus Magazine No. 264 (November–December 2005), p. 142. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . 651–674 24 Saurer / Hess BBC Articulated 1982–83 2014Trolleybus Magazine No. 320 (March–April 2015), p. 60. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . 681–700 20 NAW / Hess BBC Articulated 1987–88 2014 701–713 13 NAW / Hess ABB Articulated 1992–93 2021Trolleybus Magazine No. 359 (September–October 2021), p. 205. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . 721 1 NAW / Hess ABB Bi-articulated 1993/2003 (ex-709)Trolleybus Magazine No. 330 (November–December 2016), p. 184. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . 2016

A number of Geneva's former trolleybuses, fleet nos. 32, 96, 602–605, 607, 611–613, 615–617, 621, 643 and 644, were exported to Chile in the early 1990s. Some of these exported vehicles remained in service on the Valparaíso trolleybus system for many more years, the last two being withdrawn in 2013 and 2014.Trolleybus Magazine No. 318 (November–December 2014), p. 154. National Trolleybus Association (UK). .

The unique NAW/Hess bi-articulated vehicle, fleet no. 721, was created in autumn 2003, by adding a third (middle) body section to the 1993-built trolleybus no. 709 of type BGT-N. It was the first Swiss bi-articulated trolleybus and served as a prototype for the production vehicles of type BGGT-N2C. All of the bi-articulated vehicles are used on line 10.

Trolleybuses in Geneva

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