Vancouver’s first European trolleybus could enter service in September

It is a milestone not only for Solaris, but for the entire European bus industry, that Vancouver’s first European-built trolleybus could soon begin regular passenger service. Following Škoda’s North American presence in Dayton and San Francisco, no European manufacturer had been active in the continent’s trolleybus market for many decades — something Solaris is now changing. Although the first prototype of the order for several hundred Solaris Trollinos has already been in Vancouver for weeks, the operator, Coast Mountain Bus Company, has only now reported that the 40-foot (12-metre) trolleybus with off-wire capability is currently undergoing road and operational testing across the entire trolleybus network. If the trials proceed as planned, the vehicle could enter service in an exceptionally short time, possibly as early as September. The first vehicle will soon be followed by a second, pre-series articulated example, before deliveries of series-production vehicles begin in 2027; under the framework agreement finalised last year, a further 273 Trollinos will arrive in Vancouver in the first phase.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Solaris Trollino trolleybuses being built for Vancouver is that, despite the specific requirements of the North American market, they are based on the European platform. As a result — within the Canadian regulatory environment and the technical parameters permitted by the customer — Solaris did not have to fundamentally modify the structure of the body, with the necessary changes mainly limited to local regulations and operational characteristics.

This means the vehicles will offer local passengers a number of technical and comfort features that are considered standard in Europe, but represent a major step forward compared with Vancouver’s current trolleybus fleet. TransLink — the transport authority for the Metro Vancouver region and the customer behind the vehicle procurement — specifically highlights the full-length low-floor passenger saloon, as well as the three-door layout of the standard-length version.

Although these are well-established solutions in the European market, they are not universal in North America, where urban transit buses have typically adopted a partially low-floor, or low-entry, layout. The introduction of air conditioning also represents a significant improvement for the trolleybus fleet: the current New Flyer trolleybuses are the last vehicles in TransLink’s rubber-tyred fleet without air conditioning, so with the entry into service of the Solaris Trollinos, the company’s entire bus and trolleybus fleet will be climate-controlled.

According to TransLink, the interior of the new Trollinos also differs in several respects from what passengers in Vancouver have been used to so far: the former pull cords are being replaced by illuminated stop-request buttons with Braille lettering, designated priority seats will receive red upholstery to make them easier to identify, larger window surfaces will provide a brighter passenger saloon, while the modern camera mirror system will complement the conventional exterior rear-view mirrors, improving visibility around the vehicle and reducing blind spots. The driver’s working environment is improved by a redesigned cab, an adjustable dashboard and a dedicated climate-control system.

Seen from a European perspective, however, many further interesting details can be found on the vehicle and in its interior. These include the wheelchair ramp located at the front door, the bicycle rack that can be mounted on the front end, the corded handset in the driver’s cab, and the use of floor-mounted foot switches for the turn signals. The handset, reminiscent of a telephone receiver, forms part of the on-board communications system and provides a direct link to the dispatch centre and operations control. Such devices are common in North American public transport and are connected to vehicle tracking and traffic management systems using radio or digital data links. The floor-mounted foot-operated turn signals allow the driver to keep both hands on the steering wheel while turning or pulling into a stop.

The most important technical development, however, is the on-board battery associated with Medcom’s electric drive system, which can be charged from the overhead wires while on the move and enables up to 20 kilometres of operation without overhead contact lines. This is a major advance compared with the outgoing New Flyer trolleybuses, which are equipped only with a nickel-cadmium battery pack providing emergency power. The latter allows autonomous operation over just a few hundred metres, mainly to get around temporary road closures, accidents or other obstacles.

The first Solaris Trollino is scheduled to enter service in September 2026, carrying a special livery celebrating the arrival of the new fleet. According to TransLink, the 275-strong fleet, comprising 183 standard-length and 92 articulated vehicles, will then arrive and enter service gradually. By the end of the decade it will replace the current 262-vehicle New Flyer trolleybus fleet, completely renewing Vancouver’s trolleybus fleet.

The vehicles are being built entirely at Solaris’s plant in Bolechowo, as Canada — unlike the United States — has no nationwide regulation comparable to Buy America requirements that gives preference to domestic production in publicly funded bus procurements. The completed vehicles will travel by road from Poland to the port of Bremerhaven in Germany, from where they will cross the Atlantic Ocean by ship to Canada. After the ocean crossing, they will be transported on special trailers across the North American continent to their final destination, Vancouver. We wrote in detail in the article below about the technical modifications Solaris had to make to its buses intended for the American market in order to comply with the requirements of the Buy America Act and other North American regulations.