[as of 2016 ]
Cities
Founded:
29.03.1252 (Chomutov), 1352 (Jirkov)
Population:
49 187 (Chomutov, 2013), 21 442 (Jirkov, 2006)
Location:
Chomutov
A conglomerate of two very Soviet-looking towns, even many years after the fall of the Soviets. Following an industrial expansion under the ČSSR, the city of Chomutov expanded northward and eventually merged with the town of Jirkov, even though both municipalities still maintain their independence.
Network Stats
Operator: Dopravní podnik měst Chomutova a Jirkova a.s.
System opened:
01.09.1995
Overhead length:
36,1 km. (one-way)
Number of routes:
6
All-time maximum number of routes:
10 (2004)
Number of passenger vehicles:
16
History of network development:
1995 - 2012
Timetable:
2016
Intervals on map
The newest trolleybus system in the Czech Republic, an interurban network within the cities of Chomutov and Jirkov opened 01.09.1995. As a need for an efficient form of transport arised upon urban expansion under the ČSSR, a light rail / tramway network was planned, with some infrastructure elements completed in the 1980s, most evidently in the city of Jirkov. Due to financial constraints of the 1990s, however, both cities settled on trolleybuses.
Traditionally trolleybus routes are numbered using groups of numbers for specific route patterns. All interurban Jirkov services used to be numbered in the 30s, while all services within Chomutov were numbered in the 20s. Following a transport reform on 15.12.2013, the interurban Jirkov services received numbers 40, 41, while Chomutov-only services were numbered 50, 51, 52, 53. Furthermore, the even-numbered Lines 40, 50, 52 use the southern access line to the Chomutov city center via the Highway E442, while the odd-numbered Lines 41, 51, 53 use the northern access line to the city center via Čelakovského Ulica. The Lines 50, 51 essentially are short turn services duplicating the Lines 40, 41 within Chomutov city limits. And finally, the Lines 52, 53 constitute variants of the Lines 50, 51 respectively, operating via a short deviation branch through the Zahradní neighborhood. All services pass through the Chomutov city center via Palackého Ulica, however, passengers traveling to northbound destinations toward Březenecká, Zahradní and Písečná must board trolleybuses on different sides of the same street depending on the next arrival. Passengers destined for Jirkov do not face such problem as the Line 41 is routed in a one-way loop pattern to coincide with the Line 40 in the outbound direction. Following the transit reform the formerly major Vodní Terminal near the once-dominant large hardware manufacturing plant is not used anymore, nowadays served with through trolleybus services only. In addition, the Železárny Line to a semi-dormant ironworks' factory, formerly serviced by the Line 25, is no longer operated. Similarly, the express shortcut branch toward Písečná and Jirkov via the Zoo utilizing the Highway E422, formerly served by the Line 33, is not used in regular service, but only by a few depot runs. Curiously, trolleybuses do not serve neither Chomutov nor Jirkov Main Railroad Stations, in both cases terminating just 700-900 m. short of them. Trolleybuses do, however, serve the better positioned Chomutov Město Station, even though trolleybus service to the station is somewaht scarces.
The Chomutov trolleybus system is notable for unusually long headways. The interurban Lines 40, 41 operate every 30 min. during peak hours on weekdays, otherwise every 1 hr. All other services operate hourly only. Moreover, the Lines 50, 51 are weekday peak services only, and on weekends the Lines 52, 53 operate every 2 hrs. However, groups of services if combined yield more decent headways. For example, each of the corridors used by the Lines 40, 50, 52 and 41, 51, 53 are served every 15 min. during weekday peak hours, and every 30 min. during weekday off-peak. Considering that all services serve the main Palackého Ulica, the respective combined headways during weekday peak hours go down to 7,5 min., and during weekday off-peak to 15 min. In the city of Jirkov the Line 40 serves the Horník branch first, continuing to Autobusové Nádraží, while the Line 41 serves the Autobusové Nádraží branch first, and then terminates at Horník. This means that each of the branches in Jirkov are served every 15 min. during weekday peak hours, and every 30 min. other times.
In 2016 the city of Jirkov decided to get rid of trolleybuses by the end of the year, while the city of Chomutov intended to keep trolleybuses running. It was expected that all trolleybus services were to terminate at the Písečná Terminal within Chomutov, at the border with Jirkov. Later on, however, the city of Jirkov turned around, and settled on keeping trolleybuses running after all.
Rolling Stock
Škoda 15Tr11/7
: 10 (1994-1995) Articulated
Solaris Trollino 12 AC
: 5 (2006) Low Floor
Škoda 25Tr BT
: 1 (2009) Low Floor Articulated
Perhaps because the trolleybus company doesn't like the city of Jirkov due to its anti-trolleybus sentiment, the Lines 40, 41 that serve Jirkov are almost always operated with old high-floor Škoda 15Tr trolleybuses. The Lines 50, 51, 52, 53 that serve Chomutov only are mostly operated with new low floor trolleybuses. A more realistic explanation, however, is that Jirkov services are the heaviest in terms of ridership, and the old articulated Škoda 15Tr vehicles can handle heavier loads. There is only one articulated low floor trolleybus on the roster, while the rest of the low floor vehicles are low-capacity single non-articulated trolleybuses. Single non-articulated Škoda 14Tr trolleybuses never operated in Chomutov.
Photographs
Last updated:
21-Aug-2016
Special thanks:
© 2002 Author: Yury Maller - Usage of material found herein for public display is possible with authors' permission only.
Road Runner - map; Daniel Möschke, GPS-27 - photos
