Trolleybuses in Neuchâtel

The Neuchâtel trolleybus system () is part of the public transport network in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Opened in 1940, it gradually replaced the urban lines of the Neuchâtel tramway network.

The system currently also serves the neighbouring municipalities of Auvernier, Peseux, Corcelles-Cormondrèche, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise and La Tène. It is operated by Transports publics Neuchâtelois (TN), which also runs an interurban tramway to Boudry and various conventional bus lines.

Current routes As of 2019 there are three trolleybus routes in Neuchâtel (route 107 is a radial route; the other two routes are cross-city routes):

101 Cormondrèche–Place Pury–Marin-Epagnier Gare 7.5 minute intervals 12.9 km102 Temple des Valangines–Serrières 10-minute intervals 4.7 km107 Place Pury–Hauterive (–Marin-Epagnier Gare) 7.5 minute intervals 8.1 km

History The individual sections of trolleybus line in Neuchâtel went into service as follows: Routeno. Openingdate Section (or route) Notes 2 16 February 1940 Place Pury – Serrières Was extended by about 300 m in Serrières in May 1975. Absorbed by route 1 in 1985 8 21 May 1949 Place Pury – Temple des Valangines 4 1 July 1949 Place Pury – Vauseyon – Valangin (–Cernier) Including interurban section to Cernier, operated jointly by TN and the Val-de-Ruz company 1 1 July 1957 Place Pury – Monruz First stage of replacement of tram route 1; motorbuses temporarily used beyond Monruz 1 29 August 1957 Monruz – Saint-Blaise Completion of replacement of tram route 1, becoming Place Pury – St. Blaise. Through-routed with route 2 to Serrières 6 20 August 1964 Place Pury – Gare CFF Replacement of tram route 6 7 20 August 1964 Place Pury – La Coudre Replacement of tram route 7 7 15 February 1969 La Coudre – Hauterive Extension of about 1 km 3 c. 30 August 1976 Place Pury – Corcelles-Collège First stage of replacement of tram route 3 3 c. November 1976 Corcelles-Collège – Cormondrèche Extension of about 300 metres 1 9 October 1978 Saint-Blaise – Marin-Epagnier Gare Extension 7 3 October 1994Trolleybus Magazine No. 199 (January–February 1995), p. 27. Hauterive – Marin Extension Note: Opening dates above indicate the start of trolleybus service, where known. In cases of new trolleybus routes converted from tram lines, trams were replaced by a temporary motorbus service while the overhead wiring was modified, and thus the first day of trolleybus service did not immediately follow the last day of tram service.

Opened in 1949, route 4 included interurban trolleybus service to Cernier, in the Val-de-Ruz, replacing a tramway as far as Valangin and motorbus service of the Val-de-Ruz transport company (VR) between there and Cernier. Service was jointly operated by TN and by VR, which operated the (opened in 1948), with TN trolleybuses reaching Cernier and VR trolleybuses reaching Place Pury in Neuchâtel. However, most journeys on TN route 4 operated only between Neuchâtel and Valangin. Trolleybus route 4 and VR's Valangin–Cernier section both closed on 2 November 1969, and that was the final day of trolleybus service between the Val-de-Ruz and Neuchâtel.

Routes 1 (city centre – St. Blaise) and 2 (city centre – Serrières) were through-routed for many years, from the opening of route 1 in 1957 until 1981, with trolleybuses displaying route number "1" when bound for St. Blaise and "2" when bound for Serrières. They were separated in 1981, but re-connected in 1985, and the full route became route 1 at the latter date, with route "2" ceasing to exist (it was reintroduced in May 1994).

On 8 July 1991, route 1 replaced route 3, making route 1 Cormondrèche–Place Pury–St. Blaise–Marin, and the Place Pury to Serrières section was taken over by route 7.Trolleybus Magazine No. 180 (November–December 1991), pp. 129, 149. On the same date, route 8 was extended to Place Pury. Routes 7 and 8 had both terminated on Rue St. Maurice and run inbound via that street and outbound via Rue du Bassin and Rue St. Honoré, and the July 1991 service changes brought to an end the regular operation of trolleybuses along Rue St. Maurice and Rue du Bassin, but the wiring remained in place until at least 2002.

On 29 May 1994, route 7 reverted to operating Place Pury–Hauterive, and the designation route "2" was revived for the Place Pury–Serrières section. At the opposite end of route 7, the trolleybus wires were extended from Hauterive to Marin, for access to a new depot opening there in September 1994, and starting on 3 October 1994 three route 7 trips per day operated through to or from Marin. In June 1996, route 7 began serving Marin at all times and days except evenings and Sundays, but with half of its scheduled non-rush-hours trips still terminating at Hauterive.Trolleybus Magazine No. 209 (September–October 1996), p. 127.

Route 6 was converted to diesel buses on 19 March 2001 and discontinued entirely in June 2001, with realignment of the roadway in front of the railway station following.Trolleybus Magazine No. 239 (September–October 2001), p. 120. National Trolleybus Association (UK). .

The routes were renumbered 101, 102, 107, and 108 in December 2013.Trolleybus Magazine No. 315 (May–June 2014), p. 82. One year later, on 14 December 2014, routes 102 and 108which had already been through-routed for several yearswere combined as a single route, 102.Trolleybus Magazine No. 321 (May–June 2015), p. 90.

Fleet Past fleet, after 1992 Since 1992, Neuchâtel's trolleybus fleet has consisted exclusively of articulated vehicles, the last two-axle vehicles having been withdrawn in spring 1992.Trolleybus Magazine No. 187 (January–February 1993), p. 25. National Trolleybus Association (UK). .

Fleet numbers Quantity Manufacturer Electrics Model Type Yearbuilt Last units withdrawn Notes 151–160 10 FBW / Hess BBC 91GTS High-floor 1976 2005Trolleybus Magazine No. 262 (July–August 2005), p. 96. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . 161–172 12 FBW / Hess BBC 91GTS High-floor 1983–84Trolleybus Magazine No. 264 (November–December 2005), p. 141. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . 2011Trolleybus Magazine No. 297 (May–June 2011), pp. 68, 70. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . 101–121 21 NAW / Hess ABB BGT 5-25 High-floor 1991 2024 First unit built in 1990. No. 121 was renumbered 621 in 2013, after the arrival of ex-La Chaux-de-Fonds 121.Trolleybus Magazine No. 310 (July–August 2013), p. 110. 121–125 5 NAW / Hess Swisstrolley 2 / BGT-N2 Low-floor 1996 2015Trolleybus Magazine No. 325 (January–February 2016), p. 30. Ex-La Chaux-de-Fonds 121–125 in 2012–13

The NAW trolleybuses 101–121 were the last high-floor trolleybuses in service in Switzerland, Trolleybus Magazine No. 363 (May–June 2022, p. 125. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . and by at least 2023, the Milan trolleybus system was the only other system in all of Western Europe still operating high-floor vehicles.Trolleybus Magazine No. 370 (July–August 2023, p. 171. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . The last active units of this Neuchâtel series were initially retired in December 2023,Trolleybus Magazine No. 375 (May–June 2024, p. 129. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . but some were returned to use in early 2024 because of temporary reliability problems with the Hess LighTram trolleybuses that replaced them.Trolleybus Magazine No. 376 (July–August 2024, p. 173. The last high-floor trolleybuses were withdrawn again by mid-April 2024,Trolleybus Magazine No. 377 (September–October 2024), p. 215. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . with a ceremonial "farewell" tour being operated on 11 September 2024 to mark their formal withdrawal.Trolleybus Magazine No. 378 (November–December 2024), p. 255.

Current fleet

Low-floor, articulated vehicles now make up the entire fleet.

Fleet numbers Quantity Manufacturer Electrics Model Year built 131–150 20 Hess Swisstrolley 3 / BGT N2C 2009–2011 161–178 18 Hess LighTram 19 DC 2023–2024

As there were no low-floor trolleybuses in the fleet prior to the delivery of the BGT-N2C type Swisstrolleys, lines 1 and 7 were operated between 2004 and 2010 by a mixed fleet of trolleybuses and low-floor diesel buses. Under that arrangement, the travelling public was offered at least some barrier-free trips – which were identified in the timetable.

Trolleybuses in Neuchâtel

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