The only Spanish city with a trolleybus network has selected the offer from Solaris Bus & Coach following a tender for new vehicles announced last year. The operator Via Reservada, from the town of Castellón de la Plana, has purchased six Solaris Trollino 12 trolleybuses for a total amount of 3.5 million euros.
According to the contract, the modern Polish trolleybuses will be delivered to the client by the end of this year. The six Solaris Trollino 12 units will be produced in the MetroStyle version, which is characterized by an extremely innovative design. The trolleybus traction system will be supplied by the Czech manufacturer Skoda Electric. The vehicles will be additionally equipped with a battery pack allowing for travel without using power from the overhead lines. The trolleybus lines in Castellón consist of several sections where pantographs cannot be used. The trolleybus must also have the capability to autonomously reach the diagnostic station. The batteries installed in the Trollino can be charged in two ways – during regular operation, as well as at the depot using external chargers located there.
One of the interesting features of the vehicle equipment will be the Optiboard system, which allows the trolleybuses to pull up precisely to the bus stop bay without driver intervention.
– This prestigious order once again demonstrates Solaris’s competence in designing and building trolleybuses. We are also consistently strengthening our position in the Spanish market, where our brand is becoming increasingly recognizable and enjoys a very good reputation – said Martin Gruber, member of the board of Solaris, responsible for sales, after-sales, marketing, and quality assurance.