13 Hess double-articulated trolleybuses will be deployed in Bern

Hess announced the awarding of a contract for 13 double-articulated trolleybuses from Bernmobil. The vehicles are to be deployed on the Bern – Köniz/Schliern line 10 from summer 2026 and offer around 30 percent more capacity than conventional articulated trolleybuses.

The Swiss operator has also ordered a batch of Irizar e-buses in 2021. Hess has recently won important contracts in Italy: after Genoa, the city of Vicenza has awarded a contract for 16 Hess lighTram TOSA (thanks to 19 million euros of State financing). 

In the meanwhile, on 1 November 2023, the first of 27 new Tramlinks started regular service on the Bern network. With the introduction of the 20 bi-directional trams and 7 one-way trams supplied by Stadler Rail, Bernmobil achieves its goal of adapting the transport service to the needs of increasing mobility in the city and region of Bern.

Bern procures 13 double-articulated trolleybuses from Hess

The model that will be deployed in the Swiss capital is Hess lighTram 25 DC, equipped with 48 seats, large standing room areas and optimised passenger flow. The air conditioning system with heat pump and environmentally friendly CO2 as a refrigerant contributes to the sustainability of the vehicles. In addition, the dynamic charging technology enables the batteries to be charged on the overhead line, allowing the vehicle to be used more flexibly on routes with partial overhead lines.

The switch to double-articulated trolleybuses will increase the capacity of line 10 and optimise the timetable with a more stable interval.