Pescara’s “La Verde” trolleybus line serves nearly 6,500 passengers in a week and is recognized as a European best practice

The trolleybus line “La Verde”, in the Italian city of Pescara, continues to grow: last week the service nearly reached 6,500 passengers, confirming a positive trend and steadily increasing approval among citizens, students, and workers along the Pescara–Montesilvano corridor.

This growth consolidates the role of the trolleybus line, opened in mid September, as a main axis of metropolitan sustainable mobility.

Pescara trolleybus line is now reality

The Pescara–Montesilvano trolleybus line had been defined by the Court of Auditors as “one of the worst contracts in Italy,” with unfinished works, critical issues, and progress blocked for years. Today, after a deep technical, administrative, and organizational redevelopment, “La Verde”—which entered service on 11 September 2025—is recognized as a European reference for interoperability, energy sustainability, and modal integration”, states Maxmilian Di Pasquale, General manager of the public transport company TUA.

Participation in the UITP meeting in Warsaw, where La Verde was recognized as one of the four best European experiences, demonstrates the effectiveness of this process.

The fleet currently comprises six Van Hool-Kiepe Exqui.city 18 T articulated trolleybuses, each 18.61 metres long, equipped with two 160 kW motors and battery packs of 45 kWh. Each vehicle can carry up to 134 passengers, including 37 seated. Two additional 18-metre articulated vehicles from Yutong are planned for the service.

Indeed, the Pescara–Montesilvano trolleybus line shows how modern, results-oriented public management can transform a project born under a bad star into a virtuous example for the sector. “We inherited one of the most problematic projects in the country. Today it is a European best practice. This is the value of teamwork and vision,” emphasizes Di Pasquale.