Europe’s shortest trolleybus route built in Sweden

A two-mile trolleybus route, believed to be the smallest in Europe, is being constructed in Landskrona, a town on Sweden’s west coast. The route will connect to a new rail station in the city and hopefully avoid a massive switch to private car use that may result from the closure of the old rail terminal in the town’s center. The three trolleys are being provided by Solaris Bus and Coach and are expected to be delivered by May 2003, when test drives will begin. The trolleys cost about $567,000 each and will use overhead wiring to operate. The wiring and sub-station add another $2 million to the project cost. National and regional government contributions amount to 47% of the total costs, with the rest taken care of by the town of Landskrona. When the trolley opens to the public in August 2003, it will be the first trolleybus service in Sweden since the closure of the Stockholm system more than 36 years ago. — Bill Godwin