TransLink to test new trolley bus model with a longer-range battery

TransLink trolley bus. (Shutterstock)

Metro Vancouver’s trolley bus network is here to stay, and it could not only be renewed but also potentially be expanded significantly.

During last week’s Mayors’ Council meeting, TransLink director of enterprise sustainability Ralf Nielsen shared that starting in August 2023, the public transit authority will test a new model of trolley bus that has in-motion, battery-electric charging.

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This new model of trolley bus will enable vehicles to go off the overhead electric wires for distances up to 20 km, with the battery undergoing an in-motion recharge while in service upon reconnecting with the wires.

TransLink’s existing trolley buses already have off-wire capability, but this is highly limited, mainly intended for short route detours or when the vehicles unintentionally detach from the overhead electric supply.

This is essentially a hybrid between a trolley bus and a battery-electric bus, although regular battery-electric buses in use by TransLink have a much longer range of up to 150 km.

Nielsen says the upcoming test will enable TransLink to see how such a technology works on the existing trolley bus infrastructure, and what kind of upgrades may be needed on the overhead network if such vehicles are adopted for wide use.

A trolley bus in Beijing that also has long-distance electric-battery capability. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

This comes ahead of TransLink’s forthcoming retirement of the entire existing trolley bus fleet of about 260 vehicles that have been in service since the 2000s, but are now approaching the end of their lifespan. TransLink has plans to acquire an entirely new replacement trolley bus fleet in the late 2020s, which provides an opportunity to use the latest technology.

There are plans to capitalize on the use of the existing extensive trolley bus infrastructure, given that it aligns with TransLink’s goal of maintaining and expanding the use of zero-emission vehicles. There are over 300 kms of overhead electric wires for the trolleys within Vancouver and western Burnaby, including the recent permanent expansion on West 10th Avenue in Vancouver to support the subway construction detours, and the dedicated trolley bus depot of Vancouver Transit Centre in South Vancouver.

If trolley buses were to be phased out, extensive investments would be required to remove the overhead wires and power supplies and modify the depot. But such investments would be better directed toward battery-electric buses and the required charging infrastructure.

Nielsen also suggested trolley buses could potentially be used as the dedicated vehicles for RapidBus or the future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes.

“It poses a unique opportunity when we look at either RapidBus or BRT where we have dedicated rights of way, where putting in new overhead lines are not as difficult as putting it through multiple jurisdictions in the region,” said Nielsen.

“Many cities and parts of Europe have very mature trolley systems with wonderful, mature, very clean and quiet trolleys. So we see that as actually a really interesting opportunity. But the existing trolley system will be maintained unless we see that changing in the future, but right now we don’t see that.”

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