Mykolaiv launched trolleybus route to remote Korabelnyi district
photo: Municipal enterprise Mykolaivelectrotrans
A new trolleybus route No. 10 has been launched in Mykolaiv, running from the railway station to the Korabelnyi district in the south of the city. The route is 15.1 kilometres long, with less than a kilometre without a contact network. The route is operated by new Ukrainian vehicles that can cover about 20 kilometres without recharging.
As of October 2024, six battery-powered trolleybuses serve the route, which runs at intervals of 20-25 minutes during peak hours. In the future, the intervals are planned to be reduced to 15 minutes, and a stationary charging station is to be built at the final stop in Korabelnyi district.
According to Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych, Mykolaiv received some of the modern trolleybuses that will be used on this route through cooperation with international partners. "Thanks to the Danish Government, we were able to receive an additional EUR 5 million, which they transferred to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in the form of non-repayable financial assistance," the mayor said in a story for the Danish Embassy in Ukraine.
According to Mr Senkevych, the city has already received 10 new battery-powered trolleybuses thanks to the procurement carried out by the EBRD with a loan and a grant from the Danish government. In the coming months, 21 more battery trolleybuses are expected to be delivered to complete the first part of the contract. In addition, the partners have preliminarily agreed to increase the number of autonomous trolleybuses, but details will be announced later after the final decision is made.
A trolleybus on route 10 in the city of Mykolaiv. Photo: Municipal enterprise ‘Mykolaivelektrotrans’
Municipal enterprise ‘Mykolaivelektrotrans’ reports that the batteries are charged while running on another route No. 2, which is completely under the overhead line (Mykolaiv-Passenger Railway Station - Namiv neighbourhood). "We don't waste time charging while standing still. At this point, we continue to transport passengers on route No. 2," the company said in a statement. This also allows passengers who need to travel towards Namyv to make their journey without changing trains.
Yuriy Smetana, director of Mykolaivelectrotrans, said that the rules for transporting passengers on the new trolleybus route are the same as for all electric transport in Mykolaiv. "For example, passengers can pay for travel using a QR code, which allows them to transfer to another electric vehicle within an hour. Users of any bank in Ukraine can pay with a QR code - we launched a new system at the end of last year, thus providing access to this service to all residents and guests of the city. Thus, residents of Korabelnyi district now have access to more economical public transport, as the fare is UAH 7 with QR-code payment and UAH 8 if you buy a ticket from the driver," said Yuriy Smetana.
Mykolaiv was the first city to develop and approve a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) back in 2018. According to this document, the Korabelnyi district is classified as distant, as it is more than 10 kilometres from the city centre. The city aimed to build a new tram line to the Korabelnyi district.
"The route, which runs on low-floor battery trolleybuses, can be assessed as fulfilling the goal set in the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan: the city has provided a reliable and climate-friendly connection for the Korabelnyi district. When the intervals are reduced to 10-15 minutes, this connection will also be considered comfortable and convenient," Viktor Zagreba, head of the NGO Vision Zero, comments on the event.
According to the NGO, battery trolleybuses with an extended range and in-motion charging are a trend in Ukraine and other European countries. Such trolleybuses are essentially electric buses with dynamic charging, which have a high rate of economic efficiency and surprisingly positive characteristics in terms of reducing climate impact.
As of 2022, Mykolaivelectrotrans maintained 61.1 km of trolleybus and 69.6 km of tram network, and ensured the operation of 6 trolleybus and 6 tram routes. Due to the water supply problems caused by the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and against the city of Mykolaiv in particular, since 2022, trolleybuses and trams have been providing daily delivery of drinking water for the needs of citizens.
EECU previously covered the news of Mykolaiv's electric transport in the article "New staff, trolleybuses and technologies. How Mykolaiv's public electric transport is being updated in the context of war", and also wrote about the return of trolleybuses to the Czech capital Prague, namely battery-powered three-section trolleybuses with a length of 24 metres, which cover part of their routes without being connected to the grid.
Rad more about this topic in our library:
- The article ‘Trolleybus is the best electric bus ’ from the Czech Republic about the advantages of battery trolleybuses;
- ‘San Francisco: new study recommends expanding trolleybus network’;
- Presentation ‘Introduction of battery trolleybuses and other innovative energy storage solutions in Pilsen’