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Lugano

Portrait Lugano
Trolleybus series of Lugano
Lugano had between spring 1954 and summer 2001 a trolleybus network, which included up to four lines and was operated by up to 27 trolleybuses. Specialities were the high voltage of 1000 Volt (in Switzerland 600 V are usual), and the separated line numbers for each direction, which were used until 1993.

Trolleybus fleet

Numbers Type In use Comments Preserved vehicles
101-103 Rigid trolleybus 1954-1983   101 (TVS)
104-113 Rigid trolleybus 1959-1988 No. 112 driving school until 2001 107 and 112 (ARBL)
67 Aerial work platform 1963-2001 Aerial work platform for overhead line maintenance 67 (TVS)
114-117 Rigid trolleybus 1966-1999   115
118-121 Rigid trolleybus 1974-2001    
122-125 Articulated trolleybus 1975-2001   124 (TVS)
126-127 Rigid trolleybus 1978-1999 1977 purchased ex Rheintal No. 6-7 (built in 1966) 126 (TVS)
201-206 Articulated trolleybus 1985-2001 No. 202 burned-out in 1992, others sold to Brașov in 2001  
207-209 Rigid trolleybus 1987-2001 2001 sold to Brașov (Romania)  

Note: Trolleybus No. 112 was also over taken by TVS in 2001. This bus was given to our partner association ARBL in 2001, where it will be preserved long-term. The identically constructed bus No. 107 is preserved in a outdoor transportation museum in Ranco (Italy) close to Lago Maggiore since 1988. An association from Czech Republic adopted Trolleybus No. 115 out of the 3rd series from 1966 with our intermediation in 2001.

Developement of the trolleybus network

Date Line Changes Vehicles
25.04.1954 4 Opening of the first line: Lugano Piazza Manzoni - Cinque Vie (tram replacement, expansion). 3 RT
27.06.1959 3 Opening of the second line: Lugano Piazza Manzoni - Molino Nuovo - Cornaredo (tram replacement, expansion to the new depot).  
31.10.1959 2 Opening of the third line: Lugano Piazza Manzoni - Cassarate - Castagnola (tram replacement, expansion).  
17.12.1959 1 Opening of the fourth line: Lugano Piazza Manzoni - Lungolago - Paradiso Fontana (last tram replacement, loop around a block at the valley station of the rail to San Salvatore). 13 RT
17.12.1959 1 / 2 Through route of the lines 1 und 2 from above with separated numbers for each direction: 1 from Castagnola via Lugano to Paradiso, 2 from Paradiso via Lugano to Castagnola.  
17.12.1959 3 / 4 Through route of the lines 3 und 4 from above with separated numbers for each direction: 3 from Cinque Vie via Lugano to Cornaredo, 4 from Cornaredo via Lugano to Cinque Vie.  
01.12.1960 1 / 2 Extension in Paradiso: from Scuole via Stazione - Carzo - Brentino - Geretta to Fontana (large circle with a big heigth difference). The existing loop is kept for operational reasons.  
25.06.1963 5 / 6 Opening of a new radial route with separated numbers for each direction: 5 from Lugano Piazza Manzoni via Massagno to Savosa Crocifisso, 6 from Savosa Crocifisso via Massagno to Lugano Piazza Manzoni.  
02.12.1972 all Changes of the traffic routeing in the centre of Lugano lead to major changes at the overhead lines. Since the lines have colours since several years, the terminal stations are not showed on the trolleybuses anymore and only the coloured line number is displayed. 17 RT
01.03.1975 4 (3) Expansion from Cinque Vie to Breganzona. 21 RT + 
4 AT
23.03.1976 3 (4) Expansion from Cornaredo to Pregassona.  
11.07.1981 5 (6) Expansion from Savosa Crocifisso to Vezia Villa Negroni. 23 RT +
4 AT
30.08.1993 all The separated numbers for each direction are given up and partly the schedule is reduced. The trough route 1/2 becomes the line 1, the radial route 5/6 becomes the line 5. The former through route 3/4 is split into two radial lines. 15 RT +
9 AT
30.08.1993 1 New number of the previous line 1/2 in both directions.  
30.08.1993 3 New number of the section Lugano Piazza Manzoni - Molino Nuovo - Cornaredo - Pregassona of the previous line 3/4.  
30.08.1993 4 New number of the section Lugano Piazza Manzoni - Piazzale Besso - Cinque Vie - Breganzona of the previous line 3/4.  
30.08.1993 5 New number of the previous line 5/6 in both directions.  
30.06.2001 all The last trolleybus (No. 201) runs on the line 3. The lines 1 and 5 were dismissed earlier in that month. The line 4 due to road works already in January 1998. 8 RT +
9 AT

Legende: RT= rigid trolleybus, AT = articulated trolleybus (for 2001 the number shows the amount of operable trolleybuses at begin of the year).
Note: The numbers and colours showed in the table from 1954 until the 1960ies are to make understanding easier. Since the first 17 trolleybuses only had rollblind signs showing the terminus in black and white, the lines might not have displayed like showed in the table.