Tram and trolleybus photo collection:: Russia:: Saransk

SARANSK TROLLEYBUS NETWORK

Part 1: The City Center

[ World ] [ Russia ] [ Saransk ] [ Facts ] [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]

01. The Main Railroad Station. Trolleybus Lines 3, 4, 5 and 14 terminate here on regular bases. The Saransk system, however, is infamous for having selected runs to differ from the original path for dispatch purposes. As the dispatch station itself is located at the Elevator Terminal nearby, selected runs bypass the Railroad Station Stop and continue on to Elevator instead.
(09 June 2002, YM)

02. Lenina Propsect is the city's main thoroughfare. A Belarus-made AKSM-101 trolleybus is a somewhat rare sight as only 3 were delivered (numbered 2001-2003). Most trolleybus lines navigate through the city center via a complicated arrangement of circular route patterns. Services 1/2, 3/4, 7/8, 11/12 are paired to operate via same loops in the opposing directions.
(09 June 2002, YM)

03. The Elevator Terminal is located just outside the city center and has a dispatch outpost. Only two services, Lines 9 and 11, terminate here on regular bases, yet trolleybuses serving any line that passes through the city center could be found here as selected runs deviate from normal routing to visit the dispatch. The terminal lot is also used for long-term layovers during the daytime. The space is limited, however. Note a curious overhead arrangement with a detached section of wire that requires having to back up and switch poles in order to access it.
(09 June 2002, YM)

04. Kommunisticheskaya Ulitsa (Communist's Street) in the city center. Trolleybus ZIU-9 2158 is taking a break, the sign says "en-route to lunch". The vehicle is literally abandoned in the middle of the street, the cover over the electric equipment box inside the cab is lifted, apparently to cover up for a trolleybus being damped during lunch at the location of driver's choice by imitating a breakdown.
(09 June 2002, YM)

05. The corner of Gagarina Ul. and Poletaeva Ul. is the major trolleybus junction on the system. This picture was taken while the author, an American citizen, was held by the militia and the FSB (the KGB's successor), in order to demonstrate the purpose of the author's visit to the city to the local authorities. Saransk was "closed" for the foreigners up until 1996. In 2002, however, an attempt to check author's papers for any possible mischiefs was undertaken anyway.
(09 June 2002, YM)

06. The same intersection as above. Similar scenes were played out a number of times at various locations throughout a single day of the visit. The overhead in Saransk happens to be in the worst shape possible.
(09 June 2002, YM)

07. The continuation of the scene above. Note the extensive overhead at the approach to the Gagarina / Poletaeva intersection. Also note a massive antenna on the roof of the trolleybus, needed for a local positioning system and a radio. As of the date of this photo about 60-70% of trolleybuses were equipped with such systems - a rare arrangement in modern Russia, especially within a relatively small city.
(09 June 2002, YM)

08. Trolleybus traffic jam behind a conveniently parked "new Russian" SUV. Note the immediate presence of the militia in the background. The city of Saransk remains stubbornly law and order obedient. The same militia crew will later get busy with the author. Even though the incident had hardly lasted for 5 minutes, the headway for major services is low enough for as many as two trolleybuses serving the same line to accumulated behind the incident on this quiet Sunday morning.
(09 June 2002, YM)

09. The same Gagarina / Poletaeva intersection. One of city's four known ZIU-10 articulated trolleybuses completes a turn at the beginning of the loop around the city center. All articulated vehicles belong to Depot 2.
(09 June 2002, YM)

10. Saransk is somewhat unique when it comes to it's bus shelter's design, not one of which is like the other. This little dollhouse is erected near the city's bus station. The leading trolleybus is one of a bunch of 30 new vehicles purchased at the end of 2000, the beginning of 2001, for a highly overquoted price. At least 2 middlemen companies are known to participate in this deal. The event was highly publicized in the local media. All new vehicles received a "Saransk, 360 years" slogan.
(09 June 2002, YM)

11. The intersection of Lyambirskoe Shosse and Pobedy Ul. boasts a rather curious curvilinear overhead crossing design, which forces trolleybuses to slow down to a crawl and sometimes block traffic. Note, that as of the date of this photo, the straight wires via Lyambirskoe Shosse saw no service, while the complicated S-curve toward Pobedy Ul. carried 5 key services toward the Severo-Zapad suburb on the 1 1/2 min headway.
(09 June 2002, YM)

[ World ] [ Russia ] [ Saransk ] [ Facts ] [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]

	01. The Main Railroad Station. Trolleybus Lines 3, 4, 5 and 14 terminate here on regular bases. The Saransk system, however, is infamous for having selected runs to differ from the original path for dispatch purposes. As the dispatch station itself is located at the Elevator Terminal nearby, selected runs bypass the Railroad Station Stop and continue on to Elevator instead. (09 June 2002, YM)
	02. Lenina Propsect is the city's main thoroughfare. A Belarus-made AKSM-101 trolleybus is a somewhat rare sight as only 3 were delivered (numbered 2001-2003). Most trolleybus lines navigate through the city center via a complicated arrangement of circular route patterns. Services 1/2, 3/4, 7/8, 11/12 are paired to operate via same loops in the opposing directions. (09 June 2002, YM)
	03. The Elevator Terminal is located just outside the city center and has a dispatch outpost. Only two services, Lines 9 and 11, terminate here on regular bases, yet trolleybuses serving any line that passes through the city center could be found here as selected runs deviate from normal routing to visit the dispatch. The terminal lot is also used for long-term layovers during the daytime. The space is limited, however. Note a curious overhead arrangement with a detached section of wire that requires having to back up and switch poles in order to access it. (09 June 2002, YM)
	04. Kommunisticheskaya Ulitsa (Communist's Street) in the city center. Trolleybus ZIU-9 2158 is taking a break, the sign says "en-route to lunch". The vehicle is literally abandoned in the middle of the street, the cover over the electric equipment box inside the cab is lifted, apparently to cover up for a trolleybus being damped during lunch at the location of driver's choice by imitating a breakdown. (09 June 2002, YM)
	05. The corner of Gagarina Ul. and Poletaeva Ul. is the major trolleybus junction on the system. This picture was taken while the author, an American citizen, was held by the militia and the FSB (the KGB's successor), in order to demonstrate the purpose of the author's visit to the city to the local authorities. Saransk was "closed" for the foreigners up until 1996. In 2002, however, an attempt to check author's papers for any possible mischiefs was undertaken anyway. (09 June 2002, YM)
	06. The same intersection as above. Similar scenes were played out a number of times at various locations throughout a single day of the visit. The overhead in Saransk happens to be in the worst shape possible. (09 June 2002, YM)
	07. The continuation of the scene above. Note the extensive overhead at the approach to the Gagarina / Poletaeva intersection. Also note a massive antenna on the roof of the trolleybus, needed for a local positioning system and a radio. As of the date of this photo about 60-70% of trolleybuses were equipped with such systems - a rare arrangement in modern Russia, especially within a relatively small city. (09 June 2002, YM)
	08. Trolleybus traffic jam behind a conveniently parked "new Russian" SUV. Note the immediate presence of the militia in the background. The city of Saransk remains stubbornly law and order obedient. The same militia crew will later get busy with the author. Even though the incident had hardly lasted for 5 minutes, the headway for major services is low enough for as many as two trolleybuses serving the same line to accumulated behind the incident on this quiet Sunday morning. (09 June 2002, YM)
	09. The same Gagarina / Poletaeva intersection. One of city's four known ZIU-10 articulated trolleybuses completes a turn at the beginning of the loop around the city center. All articulated vehicles belong to Depot 2. (09 June 2002, YM)
	10. Saransk is somewhat unique when it comes to it's bus shelter's design, not one of which is like the other. This little dollhouse is erected near the city's bus station. The leading trolleybus is one of a bunch of 30 new vehicles purchased at the end of 2000, the beginning of 2001, for a highly overquoted price. At least 2 middlemen companies are known to participate in this deal. The event was highly publicized in the local media. All new vehicles received a "Saransk, 360 years" slogan. (09 June 2002, YM)
	11. The intersection of Lyambirskoe Shosse and Pobedy Ul. boasts a rather curious curvilinear overhead crossing design, which forces trolleybuses to slow down to a crawl and sometimes block traffic. Note, that as of the date of this photo, the straight wires via Lyambirskoe Shosse saw no service, while the complicated S-curve toward Pobedy Ul. carried 5 key services toward the Severo-Zapad suburb on the 1 1/2 min headway. (09 June 2002, YM)