European firm to build 262 new trolley buses for TransLink | Daily Hive

European firm to build 262 new trolley buses for TransLink, with new-generation ability to go off-wire for 20 km

Trolley bus with longer range in-motion battery by Solaris Bus & Coach being tested by TransLink in Vancouver, on August 17, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

TransLink has selected a major European manufacturer to supply its next generation of electric trolley buses, retiring the public transit authority’s aging fleet of trolley buses.

The existing fleet of 262 trolley buses were built in the mid-to-late 2000s by Winnipeg-based New Flyer, but they are now in need of a complete replacement.

Planning for the replacement of the trolley bus fleet has been years in the works, with TransLink initiating the bidding process seeking a supplier in Summer 2024.

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Dan Mountain, a spokesperson for TransLink, told Daily Hive Urbanized that moving forward, Polish manufacturer Solaris Bus & Coach will be the new long-term supplier of Metro Vancouver’s trolley bus fleet — a new generation fleet with improved features.

Today, TransLink awarded the first contract of 107 new trolley buses to Solaris at a cost of $181 million or $1.69 million per vehicle.

This initial order will be of the 40-ft-long, two-door Solaris Trollino 12 model of trolley bus, which will begin arriving in 2026. The first vehicle will serve as a pilot, undergoing extensive testing upon arrival before the full fleet begins rolling in.

Daily Hive Urbanized previously reported that in August 2023, Solaris tested a Trollino 12 vehicle on TransLink’s overhead electrical wires, successfully demonstrating compatibility with the existing infrastructure.

Solaris Bus Coach TransLink Vancouver trolley bus test August 2023

Trolley bus with longer range in-motion battery by Solaris Bus & Coach being tested by TransLink in Vancouver, on August 17, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Mountain added that TransLink intends to order up to an additional 155 trolley buses from Solaris at a later date, which would start arriving in 2028 and replace the full fleet of 262 trolley buses. The cost of the second phase of 155 trolley buses will be finalized at a later date when the order is formalized.

In total, across both the current and future orders, there would be 81 40-ft Solaris Trollino 12 trolley buses and 74 60-ft articulated, three-door Solaris Trollino 18 trolley buses.

“Solaris was selected because they were able to best meet our replacement timeline requirements, their buses are cost-effective, and they have a track record of providing quality buses,” he said.

Trolley bus with longer range in-motion battery by Solaris Bus & Coach being tested by TransLink in Vancouver, on August 17, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Solaris’ new trolley bus vehicles come with vastly improved design features, compared to the existing fleet in use.

The Polish firm’s trolley buses can operate up to 20 km off-wire using only battery power when disconnected from the overhead electrical supply, with the buses featuring in-motion charging when connected to the wires — a first for TransLink. This offers far greater operational flexibility, reliability, and resiliency for trolley buses when the overhead electrical supply is not available; in contrast, TransLink’s existing trolley buses can only travel less than one km when disconnected from the wires.

Additionally, unlike the existing trolley bus fleet, all Solaris vehicles will come equipped with air conditioning for enhanced passenger comfort during warmer weather. TransLink has required air conditioning in all bus orders since 2012, making the current trolley buses among the last to operate without it.

solaris trollino translink vancouver trolley bus

Trolley bus with longer range in-motion battery by Solaris Bus & Coach being tested by TransLink in Vancouver, August 2023. (TransLink)

solaris trollino translink vancouver trolley bus 2

Trolley bus with longer range in-motion battery by Solaris Bus & Coach being tested by TransLink in Vancouver, August 2023. (Solaris)

TransLink’s contract with Solaris includes an option to purchase up to 250 additional buses in the future, potentially more than doubling the fleet size to over 500 trolley buses. However, the decision to exercise this option will depend on operational needs, with the immediate focus solely on replacing the existing fleet.

Historically, TransLink has sourced its buses — both fossil fuel-powered and zero-emission models — from New Flyer and Quebec-based Nova Bus.

Although New Flyer produces trolley buses and supplied TransLink’s current fleet of such vehicles, the company’s production backlog is well known in the bus manufacturing industry. A November 2024 report highlighted that New Flyer has a backlog worth $12 billion — equivalent to about 14,000 buses — with 42 per cent being zero-emission vehicles. Nova Bus, owned by Volvo, is in the process of recalibrating its business following its decision to close its U.S. manufacturing facilities in 2025 and focus on its Canadian production hubs. Nova Bus does not manufacture trolley buses.

TransLink’s existing trolley bus fleet, built by New Flyer. (TransLink)

TransLink’s existing trolley bus fleet, built by New Flyer. (meunierd/Shutterstock)

TransLink’s trolley bus fleet is one of the largest in North America, and the only remaining system in Canada after the discontinuation of Edmonton’s network in 2009. Metro Vancouver’s trolley bus network has been in operation since 1948, initially introduced to replace select streetcar routes.

With funding from the federal government and City of Vancouver, TransLink is carrying out a $27 million project to extend the lifespan of the overhead electrical supply infrastructure by 30 to 60 years. Up to 600 steel trolley poles, about 60 km of overhead wire, up to six km of underground cable, and other equipment will be replaced.

There are over 370 kilometres of overhead running wires within the City of Vancouver and portions of western Burnaby, including Metrotown, that serve 13 trolley bus routes. Many of these routes are among TransLink’s busiest bus routes.

Although TransLink is facing a fiscal cliff for its operating budget and a significant shortfall for its capital budget supporting new and improved public transit infrastructure, the federal government recently confirmed that TransLink will receive an initial $663 million from the new federal Canada Public Transit Fund, which can be directed into initiatives such as new replacement bus fleet orders. And between 2024 and 2034, TransLink will receive $1.7 billion from the Canada Community-Building Fund, previously known as the federal Gas Tax Fund, which has historically been directed toward bus orders for replacement and fleet expansion.

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