Survival artists - trolleybuses in Marianske Lazne/Marienbad

The small spa-city Marianske Lazne /Marienbad with only 13.000 residents (!) in northern Bohemia operates a small but busy trolleybus system, which seems to be a survival artist. Opened in 1952, when the one and only tram line closed, it developed well until the end of communism. Since the 1990s there is the discussion to close the system but at the end, the trolleybus - important fort he quality of a spa city survived. Although there was a relativly new fleet of trolleybuses bought in 2004-2006 in 2013 the decision was taken to close the trolleybus system in 2017. A big problem was the bad condition of infrastructure which dated back to the 1950s and was simply at the end. There was much resistance from inside and outside of Marianske Lazne/Marienbad against closing this silent and clean public transport system and so with the help of Czech Republic the city decided to keep this important advantage compared to other spa cities in Czech republic. To keep the trolleybuses meant to buy a new fleet of 8 new trolleybuses of SKODA type 30Tr. The new fleet was delivered during April 2020 starting service on 23. April 2020. It is hopefull to see not even the new fleet but even the infrastructure being improved and new overhead being instaled. Because of mature road repairs during summer 2020 the trolleybuslines operated on their traditional ways without using batteries. In summer 2020 the daily operating lines were :

Line 3: Kolonada - Antonickuv pramen (with a maximum of 3 trolleybuses) Line 5: Kolonada - Panska Pole (with a maximum of 2 trolleybuses) Line 6: Centrum - Klimentov (a suburban line with 1 trolleybus in service, and one early morning run as far as Kolonada) Line 7: Depot - Panska Pole (the rides of line 5 from and to the depot)

This summer almost no motorbusses were operating under the wires on the trolleybus lines. At the moment the fleet consits of10 trolleybuses:
- trolleybuses 54 and 56 (SKODA 24Tr/2006)
- trolleybuses 58 - 65 (SKODA 30Tr/2020)

So it is to hope that the awareness for the trolleybus is growing and the fifth generation of new trolleybuses many more will follow!

Brandnew trolleybus 59 on line 5 is followed by trolleybus 60 on line 3 at Goethevo namesti


Trolleybus 59 on line 5 is leaving Cristal stop


Trolleybus 62 on line 3 in front of famous Casino


Trolleybus 59 on line 5 is passing the spa city`s roman katholic church


Trolleybus 65 loading ist passengers at Antonickuv pramen terminus on line 3


Trolleybus 61 in front of Kolonada building - a famous place for taking official photos of SKODA trolleybuses since 1960s


Trolleybus 58 working as a "drivers school" near Kolonada


Trolleybus 54 working line`s 6 suburban run from Klimentov/Klemensdorf to Marianske Lazne/Marienbad


Trolleybus 62 on line 3 with poles down and using ist batterie is passing the system`s tower wagon at the connection of lines 3 and 5 near stop Usovicka krizovatka


Trolleybus 62 on line 3 on new road surface under new overhead with new stop infrastructure


Trolleybus 60 on line 7 working in summer 2020 only 2 rides from Panska Pole to the depot in late evening - here in front of main station


Trolleybus 54 working line`s 6 only run as far as Kolonada in the early morning hours - seen at Goethevo namesti


Meeting of two generations - trolleybus 58 (SKODA 30Tr/2020)on line 5 overtakes trolleybus 54 (SKODA 24Tr/2006) on line 6 at Centrum


Trolleybus 59 leaving the depot for service on line 3 pasing motorbus 39


Trolleybus 54 runs through the village of Velka Hledsebe/Großsichdichfür on line 6


Trolleybus 54 on line 6 working through narrow streets in the village of Klimentov/Klemensdorf




Photos & text: Gunter Mackinger 24.8. - 3.9.2020