Sarajevo restores the only intercity trolleybus line in Bosnia and Herzegovina
photo: A MAN trolleybus, which used to serve city routes in the German city of Solingen, now runs through the streets of Sarajevo. Source: Wikipedia
Yapi Merkezi Insaat ve Sanayi A.S., a Turkish construction company that is a part of the Yapi Merkezi Holding group and specialises in the implementation of public transport infrastructure projects in the Middle East and Africa, has been awarded a new contract in Europe. The deal is worth almost €9.4 million including VAT. For this amount, the Turkish contractor undertakes to restore Bosnia and Herzegovina's only 8.6 km long intercity trolleybus line connecting Sarajevo and the neighbouring town of Vogosca. This project is fully funded by a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB), the press service of the Sarajevo Cantonal Government reports.
An agreement on the reconstruction of the Sarajevo-Vogosca trolleybus line was signed between the Canton of Sarajevo and the Turkish company Yapi Merkezi Insaat ve Sanayi A.S. in late November. It will restore the intercity trolleybus route, which was closed in the mid-1990s due to military operations and has not functioned for almost 30 years.
The reopening of the Sarajevo-Vogosca line was delayed not only due to financial difficulties but also for administrative reasons. After the signing of the Dayton Accords in 1995, Sarajevo and some of its eastern suburbs were divided into different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo became part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Bosnian-Croatian component of the country), while some eastern and north-eastern suburbs became part of Republika Serbska (the Serbian component of the country).
"The trolleybus is returning to Vogoscha after 30 years. During the war, the network was destroyed, and we are determinedly and courageously starting to rebuild it, without thinking about the reasons why it was not done much earlier. I am proud that we are starting another project that will change the image of Sarajevo. We are purchasing new vehicles, connecting Vogosca to the centre of Sarajevo with a trolleybus, and will continue to work on projects that will improve the living standards of all residents of the Sarajevo Canton," said Adnan Šteta, Minister of Transport of the Sarajevo Canton.
A used German trolleybus on the streets of Sarajevo. Source: JKP GRAS Sarajevo, the municipal carrier of the Sarajevo Canton
The project for the rehabilitation of the Sarajevo-Vogosca intercity trolleybus line involves the construction of an 8.6 km long overhead line, the installation of traction power substations, as well as the reconstruction of existing line poles and installation of new ones. Other details of the project were not disclosed.
Sarajevo trolleybus network
Trolleybus service in Sarajevo was launched in 1984. In 1992, due to the siege of the city by Republika Serbska forces supported by the Yugoslav government led by Slobodan Milosevic, a large part of the trolleybus network was destroyed. Trolleybus traffic was resumed only at the end of 1995. Currently, Sarajevo's trolleybus network consists of six routes, served mainly by second-hand trolleybuses purchased in Western European cities (Solingen, Geneva, Bern).
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Resources:
Information from the press service of the Sarajevo Cantonal Government https://www.facebook.com/vladakantonasarajevo
The Facebook page of the Minister of Transport of the Canton of Sarajevo, Adnan Šteta https://www.facebook.com/adnan.sdp