The Salzburg trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network serving Salzburg, capital of the federal state of Salzburg in Austria. Opened on 1 October 1940, it replaced the .

One of only two such systems currently operating in Austria, the Salzburg trolleybus system is one of the largest trolleybus systems in western Europe. It presently carries 41 million passengers each year.

Together with the Salzburger Lokalbahn, the system is currently operated by , which markets it under the name StadtBus Salzburg. It is also integrated into the fare collection system. Along with the Salzburg S-Bahn, it forms the backbone of Salzburg's public transport network; the city's diesel bus network, operated by , plays only a minor role.

History On 1 October 1940, trolleybus service was introduced in Salzburg, on the Siegmundsplatz–Maxglan route, which is now part of line 1. A few days later, on 24 October 1940, the extension to Makartplatz followed, and on 10 November 1940, the line was further extended, to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. On 16 February 1942, the ring lines M and L (Maxglan–Lehen–Hauptbahnhof–Zentrum–Maxglan) came into operation. In the following years, the Salzburg trolleybus system recorded rapid growth, but the tramway network was destroyed.

Until the merger in 2000 of the Salzburger Stadtwerke with the SAFE (Salzburger AG für Energiewirtschaft) to create the Salzburg AG, the Salzburg trolleybus system, and the local railway line to Lamprechtshausen, were operated by the Salzburger Stadtwerke - Verkehrsbetriebe. Some diesel bus lines also originally belonged to the company, but in the course of the 2000 merger these were transferred to Albus Salzburg.

Since 2000, therefore, the trolleybus and diesel bus services have been fully separated, both organisationally and operationally. It follows that Salzburg AG is one of the few transport companies worldwide that operates trolleybus lines, but no diesel bus lines.

In 2004, trolleybus line 1 was extended about from Messezentrum to Salzburgarena. Unusually, however, the new terminal was served only during events. At other times, power to the overhead lines in this area is switched off; the status of the overhead lines is displayed to the trolleybus drivers by means of a signal light.

On 1 October 2005, line 1 was extended from Europark to Kavaliershaus, via the EM-Stadion. On 11 December 2005, the extension of line 2 came into operation from the Hauptbahnhof to Obergnigl via Mirabellplatz and the Sterneckstraße.

A of overhead line from the Versorgungshausstraße (line 2) via the Fürbergstraße to the Fadingerstraße was built in the spring of 2006. Especially during events in the city centre, and during the UCI Road World Championships 2006, it has been used intensively. Since then, the trolleybuses of lines 2 and 4 have operated on and off over this route. This section was the basis for the later electrification of the former Albus line 20.

Also, until September 2006 the Gaswerkgasse / Ignaz-Harrer-Strasse intersection, and the Hauptbahnhof area around the Forum-Kaufhaus/Fanny-von-Lehnert-Straße, were provided with additional turning and reversing capabilities. Likewise, since the spring of 2007 a non-revenue section has been in operation from the Landeskrankenhaus (line 7) to Willibald-Hauthaler-Straße (Line 4), and an additional turning space has been provided at the Makartplatz, in front of the Holy Trinity Church. A new turning facility on the Aiglhofkreuzung from line 4 to line 2 was created in spring 2008, as well as a dedicated lane for trolleybuses in the Griesgasse in the city centre. The latter allows the stacking-and-demand retrieval of trolleybuses in the city centre for events. With the timetable change on 7 December 2007, line 4 was extended from Langwied over the city boundary to Mayrwies, replacing bus line 4A.

In autumn 2008, the Salzburg Municipal Council decided to electrify the branch of bus line 20 to Sam / Lankessiedlung. The route follows that of line 20 from Lankessiedlung, via the Salzburg-Gnigl S-Bahn station, Fuggerstraße, Volksgarten, Hanuschplatz to the Landeskrankenhaus; the line leads back to Hanuschplatz and to Sam, via Edward-Baumgartner-Straße and Karajanplatz. This work was completed in mid-2009, and bus line 20 became trolleybus line 10.

On 9 July 2009, lines 3 and 5 were extended by to the new Itzling Pflanzmann terminus. These were the first privately financed trolleybus sections in Salzburg.

Lines The eleven lines of the present Salzburg trolleybus system are as follows:

1 (Kleßheim, Red Bull Arena –) Europark – Karajanplatz – Hanuschplatz – Mirabellplatz – Hauptbahnhof – Messe, Salzburgarena 2 Walserfeld – Salzburg Airport – Hauptbahnhof – Mirabellplatz – Obergnigl from 1986 to 2003 part of Line 77 3 Salzburg Süd – Josefiau – Mozartsteg – Mirabellplatz – Hauptbahnhof – Salzburg Nord from 1986 to 2003 Line 51 4 (Mayrwies –) Langwied – Mirabellplatz – Hanuschplatz – Landeskrankenhaus – Liefering from 1986 to 2003 Line 29 or 29A 5 (Grödig, Untersbergbahn –) Birkensiedlung – Mozartsteg – Mirabellplatz – Hauptbahnhof (– Itzling Pflanzmann) 6 Parsch – Mozartsteg – Mirabellplatz – Hauptbahnhof – Itzling West 7 Salzburg Süd – Aigen – Mozartsteg – Hanuschplatz – Landeskrankenhaus – Salzachsee from 1986 to 2003 Line 49 8 Salzburg Süd – Josefiau – Mozartsteg – Hanuschplatz – Karajanplatz – Aiglhof – Messe, Salzburgarena from 1986 to 2003 part of Line 95 9 Europark – Landeskrankenhaus – Hanuschplatz – Mozartsteg – Justizgebäude (– Kommunalfriedhof) Formerly bus line 20 10 Sam – Volksgarten – Mozartsteg – Hanuschplatz – Karajanplatz – Salzburg Airport – Walserfeld 12 Josefiau – Volksgarten – Nelböckviadukt, Hauptbahnhof – Aiglhof – Europark 14 Polizeidirektion – Josefiau – Mozartsteg – Mirabellplatz – Hauptbahnhof – Liefering (only Mon–Fri morning)

Projects In October 2010, plans for new extensions were presented. It is proposed to run line 10 through the Strubergasse in future, and thereby provide a better connection with the Struber barracks. Additionally, by means of a branch in the Karolingerstrasse, line 8 will serve the many businesses and residents in that district. The city of Salzburg plans to invest around €2.2 million in these two projects up to 2015.

For quite some time, an extension to Eugendorf, or a cross-border line to Freilassing in Germany, have also been discussed.

In December 2016, diesel bus line 20 will be converted to trolleybus line 9 with a new route in the East of Salzburg.

Fleet

Former fleet

For many years until about 2000, almost all of the trolleybuses operating on the Salzburg system were made either by the German company MAN or its Austrian counterpart Gräf & Stift. After the former company took over the latter in 1971, the Gräf & Stift name remained in use as an MAN brand for the Austrian market and for trolleybuses until 2001, when ÖAF-Gräf & Stift AG was renamed MAN Sonderfahrzeuge AG. With the gradual retirement of Gräf & Stift vehicles after the start of the 21st century, the proportion of the fleet represented by MAN/Gräf & Stift vehicles became smaller and smaller, until retirement of the last such vehicles in 2016.

Some of the retired Salzburg vehicles were sold to other trolleybus operators. By that means, former Salzburg trolleybuses later entered service on the since-closed trolleybus system in Kapfenberg, Austria, and also in Germany (Eberswalde), Lithuania (Vilnius), Romania (Mediaş and Timișoara) and Russia (Perm and Rybinsk).

Until 1975, trolleybuses also operated with trailers. Salzburg was the last trolleybus network in Austria in which this form of operation was to be found. There were four different models of trailer available. They were made by Gräf & Stift (type OA I), Kässbohrer (without model designation), Lohner (type OM 5/1) and Schumann (without model designation).

The first low-floor trolleybuses to be added to the system were the 23 MAN articulated vehicles constructed between 1994 and 1997. One of them, fleet no. 240, was a used vehicle acquired from Kapfenberg. The remainder of the fleet continued to be high-floor vehicles until 2000.

The last two-axle trolleybuses still used in regular service were retired around the end of 2003. These were the last of eight Steyr-built vehicles that were built in 1988. One of the Steyr vehicles, no. 109, was preserved as a heritage vehicles, and for a period starting in September 2005 it ran in regular service again, but as a special vehicle making only a single trip per day in the morning peak period.Trolleybus Magazine No. 265 (January–February 2006), p. 13. National Trolleybus Association (UK). In 2005, the fleet totalled 92 vehicles.

The last high-floor vehicles in the active fleet, apart from heritage vehicles used only for special services, were retired in July 2016.Trolleybus Magazine No. 330 (November–December 2016), p. 178. National Trolleybus Association (UK). These were Gräf & Stift articulated trolleybuses built between 1988 and 1994, nos. 200–228. One, fleet no. 220, was bought secondhand from the Kapfenberg trolleybus system.

More new low-floor trolleybuses were purchased from Van Hool in 2000, from Solaris in 2009, and Hess in the 2010s. See "Current fleet" section, below.

Table of former fleet Numbers Quantity Manufacturer Model no. Configuration Entered service Last units retired Notes 101–110 10 MAN / Schumann MPE I Standard (two-axle) 1940 1967 114–117 4 Vétra CS 60 Standard (two-axle) 1941 1943 111–120 10 MAN / Schumann MPE II Standard (two-axle) 1942 1966 111–116 6 Gräf & Stift EO I Standard (two-axle) 1948 1974 117 1 MAN / Gräf & Stift EO I Standard (two-axle) 1951 1971 118–120 3 MAN / Gräf & Stift EO II Standard (two-axle) 1956 1970 121–123 3 Uerdingen / Henschel ÜHIIIs Standard (two-axle) 1956 1976 124–128 5 Henschel HS 160 OSL-G Articulated 1961 1979 129–135 7 Gräf & Stift GEO II Articulated 1961 1980 Originally numbered 136–142; renumbered in 1965. 136–140 5 Gräf & Stift GE 105/54/57 Articulated 1964 1983 Originally numbered 146–150; renumbered in 1965. 141–147 7 Gräf & Stift GE 105/54/54 Articulated 1966 1984 148–152 5 Gräf & Stift GE 105/54/54/1 Articulated 1970 1987 101–102 2 Gräf & Stift OE 105/54 Standard (two-axle) 1971 1986 103–112 10 Gräf & Stift OE 110/54/2 Standard (two-axle) 1971 1990 153–154 2 Gräf & Stift GE 105/54/54/2 Articulated 1972 1989 113–123 11 Gräf & Stift OE 110/54/A Standard (two-axle) 1975 1993 155–160 6 Gräf & Stift GE 110/54/57/A Articulated 1976 1992 161 1 Gräf & Stift GE 150 M 16 Articulated 1979 1993 Induction motor 129–147, 162–178 36 Gräf & Stift GE 110 M 16 Articulated 1978–85 2002 No. 178 now a heritage vehicle. 101–106 6 Gräf & Stift OE 112 M 11 Standard (two-axle) 1986 2002 107–110 4 Steyr STS 11 HU Standard (two-axle) 1989 2003 No. 109 now a heritage vehicle. 111–114 4 Steyr STS 11 HU 140 Standard (two-axle) 1990 2003 179–188, 200–228 36 Gräf & Stift GE 112 M 16 Articulated 1986 2016 No. 220 now a heritage vehicle. 229–252 23 Gräf & Stift/MAN NGT 204 M16 Articulated 1994 2021 240 = ex-Kapfenberg no. 35, in the fleet since 2003. No. 236 now a heritage vehicle. 259–260 2 Van Hool AG 300 T Articulated 2012 2014 Formerly VMCV nos. 2 and 15, in the fleet since 2009, without automatic current collector. 316–319 4 Solaris Trollino 18 Articulated 2013 2024Trolleybus Magazine No. 379 (January–February 2025), p. 30. National Trolleybus Association (UK). Formerly La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, nos. 141–144, built in 2005 and acquired in 2013.Trolleybus Magazine No. 307 (January–February 2013), p. 16.Trolleybus Magazine No. 313 (January–February 2014), p. 16.

Current fleet