Genoa: the first Solaris trolleybus (out of a 112-units order) begins operations

On 5th May 2025, the first of the new Solaris trolleybuses (with Skoda electric equipment) purchased by Genoese carrier AMT, as part of the 4 Axes of Strength project, entered service on line 20. The news is reported on Italian trade media and our sister platform Autobusweb.

Photo: Pambianchi – Secolo XIX – AMT

112 Solaris trolleybuses will circulate in Genoa

In total, the zero-emission Solaris trolleybuses envisaged by the project number 112, for a total investment of around EUR 100.8 million from the PNRR funds earmarked by the Ministry of Transport for Genoa’s green revolution. They were awarded in early 2024.

The trolleybus, a Solaris Trollino 18, 18 metres long and with a total capacity of 133 passengers, 36 of which are seated, is equipped with IMC (in motion charging) technology, and is able to operate both in two-wire mode and with battery electric power, with 4 battery packs distributed between the roof and in the rear compartment of the vehicle.

The interior is designed to guarantee the greatest possible travel comfort for passengers: 36 seats, two seats for people with disabilities and their access ramp, and 40 USB sockets. The vehicle is also equipped with LED lighting and air conditioning (also in the driver’s seat).

In recent months, the vehicle has undergone a particularly articulated and complex ministerial approval and testing phase, with specific and in-depth tests on the various parts of the vehicle, given its high technological features, which is grafted onto an elaborate and infrastructural transport system.

Once the testing period is over, the trolleybus has entered into service, and will presumably be followed shortly by another 6-7 units, once the approvals for commissioning have been completed, and so on until the current Van Hool trolleybuses of 2007 are completely replaced. As the project progresses on the four main urban routes, the trolleybuses will gradually be put into service on the Ponente, Levante and Centro axes.

The entry into service of the new vehicle will be the occasion to start a trial phase of the Liguria Region’s electronic ticketing system: a hostess and a steward will be on board the vehicle, for about a month, to support customers on how to use the new ticket machine and electronic ticketing system and how to validate their tickets.

Stefano Alfano