Special thanks to: Gennadiy Belenkiy, Dmitriy Kalashnikov.
THE CITY
[as of 11.2007]
The city is located 1020 km. south of Moscow; 75 km. east of Rostov-na-Donu, the Rostov Region's capital. The original settlement Grushyovskaya was established in 1867. The status of the city and the new name Aleksandrovsk-Grushyovskiy was acquired in 1881. The city was renamed Shakhty in 1920. Shakhty was the regional capital of the short-lived Kamenskaya Oblast (Region) that existed between 11.1954 and 1957.
The city's development has always been almost entirely dependent on the mining industry. The coal production downsized dramatically after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the planned economy. Consequently, next to all mines closed. The economy of the city has been in a freefall ever since. Except for one textile factory, there is virtually no other sustainable manufacturing left.
The city's population is about 220 000 people. This number, however, is gradually subsiding.
* * *
TRAMS
GENERAL INFORMATION
[11.2007]
Trams traditionally served the west-east corridor, while the south-north corridor was given over to trolleybuses. The core tramway corridor followed the main city thoroughfare, Sovetskaya Ul.
The backbone and the former pride of the city, trams began running in this industrially vital mining town as early as 1932. During the heyday of the operation, a stream of trams followed Sovetskaya Ul. on a headway as low as only 2 min. Scores of trams were ordered from the Ust-Katav factory, used for 5-7 years, and scrapped in anticipation of yet newer rolling stock to be readily available. Nevertheless, the system possessed its own Shakhty Tram and Trolleybus Overhaul Factory (the Russian abbreviation is ShVRTTZ), located at the Trolleybus Depot.
The situation has changed drastically with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the planned economy. The mining industry and the economy of the town are in a freefall ever since. There were no new rolling stock deliveries after 1994, so the tramway enterprise has unexpectedly found itself in possession of a rolling stock that was never meant for continuous operation, yet now had to be indefinitely maintained. As mines closed, tramlines serving them followed suit. Line 3 to Shakhta 'Nezdannaya' was suspended in 1996 due to lack of patronage. In addition, during the 1990s the infrastructure maintenance has virtually come to a halt. Consequently, the system deteriorated to the point beyond repair. The once busiest line to Shakhta 'Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii' and Line 1 closed on 09.1997 as tracks became impossible to navigate and no track overhaul was to be expected. Upon the spread of private carriers by the end of the 1990s, which constituted next to the only source of private enterprise income in this dying city, the municipally owned trams were indirectly starved to death. A series of strikes by tramway workers did not help, as it turned out to be a miscalculation - travel demand in the decaying city subsided to the point that public did not notice the absence of trams from the streets. The federally-run State Traffic Authority, GAI (Russian abbreviation), has closed the tramway operation on a few occasions in 2000 and 2001 due to the unsafe state of the infrastructure. This move was rather unprecedented by the Russian standards, but whether the GAI was illicitly influenced, or the tramway infrastructure has actually gotten that bad - remains debatable.
One of the above described subsequent closures by the GAI on December 7th, 2001, became permanent.
HISTORY OF NETWORK'S DEVELOPMENT
07.11.1932 - From Zh.d. Vokzal to Krasniy Shakhtyor Per., via Skvoznoy Per. and Bolshaya Ul. (nowadays Sovetskaya Ul.), Line 1 opens; no Depot available as of yet.
05.1933 - From Krasniy Shakhtyor Per. to Grushevskiy Most., via Bolshaya Ul. (nowadays Sovetskaya Ul.), Line 1 extended to Grushevskiy Most.
10.1933 - From Grushevskiy Most to 1-e Peresechenie, via Dezhnyova Ul. and Shosseynaya Ul, Line 1 extended to 1-e Peresechenie.
01.01.1934 - From Bolshaya Ul. (nowadays Sovetskaya Ul.) to Shakhta 'Proletarskoy Diktatury', via Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr., Line 2 Zh.d. Vokzal - Shakhta 'Proletarskoy Diktatury' opens.
1934 - The Depot opens in the old church building at Sovetskaya Ul. / Kommunisticheskiy Per.
01.07.1934 - From Bolshaya Ul. (nowadays Sovetskaya Ul.) to Puteprovod, via Chernokozova Ul. and Mayakovskogo Ul., Line 3 1-e Peresechenie - Puteprovod opens.
07.11.1934 - From Puteprovod to Shakhta 'Nezhdannaya', via Mayakovskogo Ul., Line 3 extended to Shakhta 'Nezhdannaya'.
07.11.1935 - From 1-e Peresechenie to Shakhta 'Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii', via Shosseynaya Ul., Svobodnaya Ul. and Pulnogo Ul., Line 1 extended to Shakhta 'Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii'.
07.1942 - Operation suspended due to German occupation.
05.11.1944 - Operation resumes.
06.11.1962 - From Mayakovskogo Ul. to Shakhta 'Yuzhnaya', via Karagandinskaya Ul. and Vasyuty Ul., Line 4 1-e Peresechenie - Shakhta 'Yuzhnaya' opens.
1976 - The section between Sovetskaya Ul. and Shakhta 'Proletarskoy Diktatury' via Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr. and Line 2 close, tracks dismantled; the tramway line replaced with the trolleybus line; Line 5 Zh.d. Vokzal - 1-e Peresechenie introduced instead.
1989 - The new version of Line 2 Zh.d. Vokzal - Molodyozhanya Ul. - 1-e Peresechenie introduced.
1990 - Line 2 closes.
1996 - Line 3 closes; tracks to Shakhta 'Nezhdannaya' remain intact.
1997 - The Depot moves from the church building and yard on Sovetskaya Ul., into the maintenance facility at the Trolleybus Depot.
09.1997 - The section between 1-e Peresechenie and Shakhta 'Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii' via Shosseynaya Ul., Svobodnaya Ul. and Pulnogo Ul. and Line 1 close.
1998-1999 - Tracks from 1-e Peresechenie to Shakhta 'Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii' via Shosseynaya Ul., Svobodnaya Ul. and Pulnogo Ul., and tracks from Karagandinskaya Ul. to Shakhta 'Nezhdannaya' via Mayakovskogo Ul. dismantled.
Winter 2000 - Episodic suspensions of the operation.
07.12.2001 - System closes.
ROUTES
1 Zh.D. Vokzal (07.11.1932) - Krasniy Shakhtyor Per. (07.11.1932) - Grushevskiy Most (05.1933) - 1-e Peresechenie (10.1933) - Shakhta 'Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii' (07.11.1935) [operated 07.11.1932 - 09.1997]
2 Zh.D. Vokzal - Shakhta 'Proletarskoy Diktatury' [operated 01.01.1934-1975]
2 Zh.D. Vokzal - Molodyozhnaya Ul. - 1-e Peresechenie [operated 1989-1990]
3 1-e Peresechenie (01.07.1934) - Puteprovod (01.07.1934) - Shakhta 'Nezhdannaya' (07.11.1934) [operated 01.07.1934 - 1996]
4 1-e Peresechenie - Shakhta 'Yuzhnaya' [operated 06.11.1962 - 07.12.2001]
5 1-e Peresechenie - Zh.D. Vokzal [operated 1975 - 07.12.2001]
The Shakhty tramway undertaking had a culture of maintaining a more or less homogeneous routing under specific line numbers, allowing for providing the relatively time-insensitive route list above.
Tramway Line 2 was the only electric transport service in the city that over time had two distinctly different route patterns. Ever since the early days of tramway operation, it used to be the only tramway service operating via the south-north corridor. The original version of the line, however, lasted until 1976, when it was replaced with trolleybuses. Line 2 resurfaced again in 1989 as a rush-hour-only service operating via the newly built access track to the maintenance shops at the Trolleybus Depot (the shops were upgraded into the full-service Tram Depot in 1997). Line 2 followed a complicated pattern by way of wondering off the main east-west tramway corridor via Sovetskaya Ul., running up and down the depot access track, and returning to the original route. The service followed sleepy side-streets, served no passenger generators, and did not actually reach the Depot, as a turnaround was only possible one stop short of it. It was rather an attempt to utilize tracks that were already available, than to provide a viable service. Accordingly, Line 2 was operated with one car on the 70 min headway (which translated into the 35 min headway via the Depot extension, as it was served by both eastbound and westbound trips). Car 24 was semi-permanently assigned to the line. The new version of Line 2 survived for two years only.
Trams serving Lines 3, 4 and 5 were known to be dispatched to cover the Shakhta 'Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii' extension in cases of service break downs on Line 1.
SERVICE
[1989]
Peak hour service:
Line 1: round trip running time 65-70 min; 12 units operated (single cars + 1-2 two-car trains); 5-6 min headway.
Line 2: r/t running time 70 min; 1 car; 70 min headway.
Line 3: r/t running time 76-80 min; 3 cars; 25-27 min headway.
Line 4: r/t running time 86-92 min; 15 units (single cars + 1-2 two-car trains); 6 min headway.
Line 5: r/t running time 52-56 min; 3-4 units (single cars + 1 two-car train); 13-18 min headway.
Total number of units needed for service: up to 35 (including 3-5 two-car trains).
Trams operate from 4:30 in the morning, until after 1:00 at night.
The combined headway via the main Sovetskaya Ul. corridor, served by all lines, is as low as 2 min. Despite that, the passenger demand had exceeded the capacity provided, and trams always ran overcrowded. Moreover, the schedule adherence is notoriously spotty. The level of service itself is limited due to perpetual rolling stock shortages, and infrastructure constraints. Namely, the grade signal on Shosseynaya Ul. limited the headway via the main tramway corridor to a minimum of 2 min. In addition, a single track alignment via the busy Shakhta 'Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii' line prohibited adequate service on Line 1.
[mid-1990s]
The remaining Lines 1, 3, 4 and 5 are operated with 14-16 cars during rush hours. There is a notable reduction of service during winter months, sometimes down to 5-6 cars system-wide only.
[Summer 1997]
The remaining Lines 1, 4 and 5 are operated with about 11 cars during rush hours.
[1999]
The two remaining services are operated between 6:00-21:00 only with 8 trams: Line 4 is operated with 4 cars on the 20-25 min headway; Line 5 is operated with 4 cars on the 13-15 min headway.
[11.2001, just before system's closure]
The two remaining services are operated between 7:00-19:00 only with 3 trams: Line 4 is operated with 1 car on the up to 90 min headway; Line 5 is operated with 2 cars on the 30-35 min headway.
ROLLING STOCK
[1932 - 1940s]
The 'Kh' type two-axle motor + trailers
[1950s-1960s]
The 'Kh' type two-axle motor + trailers
KTM+KTP-1 two-axle motor + trailers
KTM+KTP-2 two-axle motor + trailers
[1970s-1980s]
KTM+KTP-1 two-axle motor + trailers
KTM+KTP-2 two-axle motor + trailers
Between 1972 and 1991 the system acquired 140 KTM-5 trams of various modifications.
[1990]
A total of 62 KTM-5 cars (1974-1989), only 30 serviceable.
[1994]
A total of 51 cars:
KTM-5M3:
02, 11, 13, 16 (1982-1985)*
15-30 (1987)*
31-36 (1988)
37-41 (1989)
42-46 (1991)
54, 64, 65, 69, 74 (1979-1982)*
[* some fleet numbers are missing]
KTM-8:
47, 48 (1993)
49, 50 (1994)
[12.2001, at the time of system closure]
A total of 10 cars, 7 serviceable [* out of commission]:
KTM-5M3:
29, 30 (1987)
35* [ex-58, ex-74] (1980)
40, 41 (1989)
43, 45* (1991)
KTM-8:
47, 48 (1993)
50* (1994)
During final years of service prior to system closure, trams operated in horrible state of disrepair.
RIGHT-OF-WAY
[11.2007]
The track length at its maximum was 32,4 km, single-track. Upon the lines to Shakhta 'Nezhdannaya' and Shakhta 'Oktyabrskoy Rebolyutsii' being dismantled in 1999, the remaining track was 28.7 km.
The line via city's main Sovetskaya Ul., or about 1/2 of the network, was laid in mixed traffic, although the tramway right-of-way was hardly possible for cars. The rest of the network was built on a reservation. The lines via Chernokozova Ul. and Mayakovskogo Ul. in the western part of the network were built as tramway boulevards, with trams running down the segregated median. The outer section of the eastern line via Svobodnaya Ul. and Pulnogo Ul. ran down the tramway-only village alleyway. All other trackage in the city was built on a curbside.
The railroad underpass leading to the Main Railroad Station was of special note, as trams squeezed through the narrow 2-lane opening in a mixed mode, together with all other traffic.
The system was mostly double-tracked with the exception of sections of the Shakhta 'Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii' Line to the east.
The latter extension deserves a special follow up. Upon leaving the main Sovetskaya Ul., the line ran up the steep hill via the curbside of Shosseynaya Ul., toward the 1-e Peresechenie Loop at the top of the hill. The downhill move was controlled by the specially installed signal, which allowed a tram to proceed only when the preceding tram completed a stop at the bottom of the hill, and turned onto Dezhnyova Ul., thus clearing the right-of-way. The 1-e Peresechenie Loop was built right before the railroad crossing (the name of the Terminal means 'the 1st Crossing'). The line continued further east by way of merging into a single track at the railroad crossing, and splitting again beyond it. The line was double-tracked for the next three stops. It merged into a single track again at the Shakhta im. Vorovskogo Stop. The line then continued as a single track for one more stop, and split again just before the 2-e Peresechenie (the 2nd Crossing) for a passing point, long enough to accommodate 2-car trains. After the passing point, the line crossed the 2nd railroad crossing and continued for one stop as a single track to the Shakhta 'Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii' Loop. Single-track sections were under signals' protection. The latter were manually operated out of dispatch posts located at 1-e Peresechenie and 2-e Peresechenie. The 2nd track was laid in 1990 between the Shakhta im. Vorovskogo Stop and the 2-e Peresechenie passing point, but it was never connected to the main track, and thus, was never utilized.
The newest line in Shakhty was opened in 1989 from Sovetskaya Ul. to the Trolleybus Depot, which was also the tram and trolleybus maintenance facility, that at some point evolved into the full-scale Shakhty Tram and Trolleybus Overhaul Factory (ShVRTTZ). Upon the Tramway Depot moving into the Trolleybus Depot in 1997, the line served as the depot access track. It was built rather curvilinearely, as it was fitted into the side-streets that were never meant for trams. While the line utilized a reserved median via Chernokozova Ul., some sections via Donskoy Per. were installed as a mixed right-of-way. Upon approaching the depot, the line split in two one-way sections in order to navigate through a maze of village-like streets. The line was built to the very high and durable standards, and by 2007 remained the only section of the network that was not torn out upon system's closure.
The old depot, opened in the 1930s, was housed in the building of the church located on the hill. The lack of adequate space and uneven leveling in the church yard resulted in an oddly arranged tightly spaced clutter of multileveled tracks.
Tracks did not receive any sufficient maintenance during the 1990s, and by the time the system closed, most deteriorated to the point of being barely possible for trams to run on. The overhead did not fare better, as during final days of service drivers had to hold on to the pantograph's rope while tram was in motion, so the pantograph itself wouldn't get ripped out by the shabby overhead support.
By 2007 all tracks, with the exception of the access line to the 'new' Depot, were removed.
THE AFTERMATH
[11.2007]
The entire rolling stock and almost the entire infrastructure are lost.
Plans to replace tram lines with trolleybus lines proved to be nothing but a politically motivated storytelling, as trolleybus network itself closed on 10.2007.
Considering a disastrous state of local economy, a resulting low travel demand, and a wide spread of private carriers - the resurrection of trams is outright impossible.
* * *
TROLLEYBUSES
GENERAL INFORMATION
[11.2007]
While trams traditionally served the west-east corridor, the south-north corridor was given over to trolleybuses ever since the system's opening in 1975. The only south-north tram connection in the city, the line to Pos. Zvyozdniy, was sacrificed in favor of trolleybuses in 1976.
To be fair, it has to be admitted, that trolleybuses never delivered enough capacity to satisfy the existing travel demand in the corridor they served. During city's economic heyday, most trolleybuses ran notoriously overcrowded.
The system was famous for two long interurban lines to the satellite town of Artyom. Even though administratively a part of Shakhty, Artyom is a distinctly detached suburb to the northeast of the central city. The first line to Artyom, opened in segments between 1975 and 1983, was served by Line 2. It followed the indirect and rather curvilinear route through the KhBK neighborhood. Meanwhile, the direct route between Shakhty and Artyom, perhaps the busiest corridor in the city, was served by high-capacity Ikarus diesel buses. The direct trolleybus connection to Artyom was provided in 1986 only. The initial idea was to replace all the buses, but the eternal trolleybus rolling stock shortages never allowed for this goal to materialize. By 1997 the shortage evolved into an outright crisis, and the service was drastically reduced. It was no longer feasible to maintain the long interurban trolleybus lines, thus they were given up in favor of sustaining a decent service via two remaining lines through the central area of the city.
Upon the spread of private carriers, ever since the late 1990s the municipally owned trolleybuses were gradually phased out. In addition, the trolleybus and the diesel bus undertakings merged into one. Both remaining trolleybus Lines 1 and 3 were heavily and officially duplicated by an assortment of municipal and private diesel buses, midibuses and gipsy minibuses, that operated under the same route number designation together with a few remaining trolleybuses. The least popular trolleybus Line 1 faded away by 2004 with natural reduction of aging rolling stock. The remaining 10 trolleybuses serving the last Line 3, however, were relatively newly refurbished ZiU-VMZ-100 vehicles, a product of the last rolling stock upgrade that took place in 2000. It was considered that Line 3, which covered a major passenger-generating corridor in the city, had a relatively secure future as long as the remaining trolleybuses had some service life left. These trolleybuses, however, kept dropping like flies for reasons that couldn't be explained. Finally, in late 10.2007, trolleybuses just stopped rolling out. The system went quietly, without any announcement or explanations. Soon after, work started on the overhead being removed. When system closed, five trolleybuses in a more or less ideal condition remained on the property.
HISTORY OF NETWORK'S DEVELOPMENT
30.09.1975 - From Avtovokzal to Shakhta im. 'Gazety Komsomolskaya Pravda', via Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr., Sadovoy Ul., Karla Marksa Pr., Shishkina Ul., Promyshlennoy Ul., Industrialnoy Ul., Tekstilnoy Ul., KhBK and Voroshilova Ul.; Line 1 Avtovokzal - KhBK and Line 2 Avtovokzal - Shakhta im. 'Gazety Komsomolskaya Pravda' open.
05.1976 - From Sadovaya Ul. to Pos. Zvyozdniy, via Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr., Line 3 Avtovokzal - Pos. Zvyozdniy opens.
Late 1976 - From Pos. Zvyozdniy to Karla Marksa Pr. via Zvyozdnaya Ul.; Line 2 rerouted via Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr., Line 3 extended to KhBK.
11.1977 - From Shakhta im. 'Gazety Komsomolskaya Pravda' to Mashinoschyotnaya, Pos. Artyom-I, via Poletaeva Per. and Michurina Ul., Line 2 extended to Mashinoschyotnaya, Pos. Artyom-I.
23.08.1979 - From Shishkina Ul. to Zavod 'Gidroprivod' via Smidovicha Ul., Line 4 Tsentr - Zavod 'Gidroprivod' opens.
Early 1980s - From KhBK to Industrialnaya Ul. via Voroshilova Ul. and Stroiteley Pr., one-way; circular counterclockwise Line 5 around the KhBK neighborhood opens.
1983 - Line 2 shortened to the KhBK - Mashinoschyotnaya, Pos. Artyom-I section only; Line 5 closes; Line 6 Avtovokzal - Pos. Zvyozdniy opens.
26.12.1983 - From Mashinoschyotnaya, Pos. Artyom-I to DK Shakhty Glubokaya, Pos. Artyom, via Leninskogo Komsomola Pr. and a one-way loop via Gorkogo Ul., Lenina Pl. and Dubinina Per., Line 2 extended to DK Shakhty Glubokaya, Pos. Artyom.
1985 - Line 6 closes.
31.08.1986 - From Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr. to Pos. Artyom via IonovaUl., Eniseyskiy Per., and Leninskogo Komsomola Pr., Line 7 Avtovokzal - Pos. Artyoma opens.
1989 - Line 8 KhBK - Tsentr opens.
1990 - Line 8 closes.
1993 - Line 4 closes.
1996 - Line 4 reopens.
11.1997 - The section from KhBK to Pos. Artyom via Voroshilova Ul, Michurina Ul. and Leninskogo Komsomola Pr. closes; the section from Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr. to Pos. Artyom via Ionova Ul., Eniseyskiy Per., and Leninskogo Komsomola Pr. closes; the section from Shishkina Ul. to Zavod 'Gidroprivod' via Smidovicha Ul. closes; Lines 2, 4 and 7 close; the fleet reduced two-fold, from 34 to 17 vehicles.
1998 - Both suburban lines to Pos. Artyom, the line to Zavod 'Gidroprivod', and the one-way loop via Voroshilova Ul. and Stroiteley Pr.near KhBK dismantled.
Late 2003/ early 2004 - Line 1 closes.
10.2007 - System closes.
ROUTES
1 Avtovokzal - Karla Marksa Pr. - KhBK [operated 09.30.1975 - 2003/2004]
2 Avtovokzal (09.30.1975) - Karla Marksa pr. (Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr. after late 1976) - KhBK - Shakhta im. 'Gazety Komsomolskaya Pravda' (09.30.1975) - Mashinoschyotnaya, Pos. Artyom-I (11.1977) [operated 09.30.1975 - 1983]
2 KhBK (mid-1983) - Shakhta im. 'Gazety Komsomolskaya Pravda' - Mashinoschyotnaya, Pos. Artyom-I (mid-1983) - DK Shakhty Glubokaya, Pos. Artyom (26.12.1983) [operated 1983 - 11.1997]
3 Avtovokzal (05.1976) - Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr. - Pos. Zvyozdniy (05.1976) - KhBK (Late 1976) [operated 05.1976 - 10.2007]
4L (Leviy) Zavod 'Gidroprivod' - Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr. - Tsentr - Karla Marksa Pr. - Zavod 'Gidroprivod' (looping clockwise) [operated 23.08.1979-1993 and 1996-1997]
4P (Praviy) Zavod 'Gidroprivod' - Karla Marksa Pr. - Tsentr - Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr. - Zavod 'Gidroprivod' (looping counterclockwise) [operated 23.08.1979-1993 and 1996-1997]
5 KhBK - Stroiteley Pr. - KhBK (looping counterclockwise) [operated early 1980s - 1983]
6 Avtovokzal - Pos. Zvyozdniy [operated 1983 - 1985]
7 Avtovokzal - Pos. Artyom [operated 31.08.1986 - 11.1997]
8L (Leviy) KhBK - Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr. - Tsentr - Karla Marksa Pr. - KhBK (looping clockwise) [operated 1989 - 1990]
8P (Praviy) KhBK - Karla Marksa Pr. - Tsentr - Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr. - KhBK (looping counterclockwise) [operated 1989 - 1990]
The Shakhty trolleybus undertaking had a culture of maintaining a more or less homogeneous routing under specific line numbers, allowing for providing the relatively time-insensitive route list above.
The ' L' and 'P' lettered prefix to a route number for Lines 4 and 8 stood for the Russian words 'leviy' ('left'), implying a clockwise looping pattern around the city center, and 'praviy' ('right'), implying a counterclockwise looping pattern. The actual lettered prefixes were almost never used in the field - the direction of travel was literally determined by way of hearsay among passengers. The direction of travel was also somewhat irrelevant considering short travel distances around the city center trolleybus loop, combined with long waits for the next trolleybus.
Line 2 was a suburban service that followed a line of an interurban character to the satellite town of Artyom. This service did not follow a geographically direct route between the central city and Artyom, but detoured through the KhBK neighborhood instead. Such indirect service was later found impractical, and in 1983 Line 2 was curtailed to serve the KhBK - Artyom portion of the route only.
Line 5 was a peculiar short circular route that looped counterclockwise around a one-way trolleybus loop within the KhBK neighborhood. The service literally went just around one city block, covered only about 4 or 5 stops, and was served by one trolleybus. Line 5 was suspended in 1983, when Line 2 was curtailed to KhBK and was routed to turnaround via the same loop.
Line 6 was implemented in 1983 to compensate for a loss of Line 2 within the city center. It was a short turn version of Line 3, operated only within the length of the city's main south - north avenue, Pobedy Revolyutsii Pr. Line 6 was served with two trolleybuses on the 15 min headway, and was designed to provide a relief for the chronically overcrowded Line 3. This luxury, however, only lasted for about 2 years.
Line 7 was a direct suburban service to the satellite town of Artyom. It was opened with fanfare on the official Day of the Miners, on 31.08.1986. It meant to replace the diesel bus Line 11 that served this busy corridor on the 4 min headway. There was, however, never enough trolleybus rolling stock for this goal to materialize. The line was operated with 5 trolleybuses only, while up to 20 trolleybuses were needed to replace diesel buses.
As trolleybus rolling stock shortages progressed, Line 8 was implemented in 1989, designed to act as a short turn for Lines 1 and 3 by way of skipping the Avtovokzal extension, and looping around the city center instead. This arrangement, however, lasted for a few months only.
SERVICE
[1986]
The service provided could not catch up with the demand due to rolling stock shortages and trolleybus' capacity limitations as a mode. The city's busiest Line 3, and both suburban services 2 and 7 operate under severe overcrowding conditions. While Line 3 operates on the exceptionally low headway, Line 7 is served with 5 trolleybuses on the 14 min headway. The service via Line 2 is timed with shift changes at the KhBK plant. Contrary to the above, Line 4 is operated at below capacity level, on the headway high enough that the operating schedule is made available for public, a practice unheard of with respect to the trolleybus operation in the former Soviet Union.
The system-wide service reliability is low, and the schedule adherence is terrible.
[06.2003]
The two remaining services are operated with 10 vehicles: Line 1 is operated with 4 trolleybuses on the +/-15 min headway; Line 3 is operated with 6 trolleybuses on the +/-10 min headway. Both services operate with exemplary punctuality.
[07.2007]
The single remaining Line 3 is operated with 5 trolleybuses on the +/-12 min headway. Trolleybuses operate between 7:30 in the morning and 21:00 in the evening.
During the last few years prior to system's closure, the remaining trolleybus lines were officially duplicated by an assortment of municipal and private diesel buses, midibuses and gipsy minibuses, operating under the same route number designation together with trolleybuses. While the municipal buses and trolleybuses operated on a shared schedule, private carriers followed schedules of their own.
ROLLING STOCK
[1986]
Between 41-44 trolleybuses:
ZiU-682V: 5-31, 59-85 [some numbers are missing].
[1991]
A total of 42 ZiU-682V and ZiU-682G trolleybuses.
[11.1997]
The fleet is drastically reduced form 34 vehicles to 17 vehicles, all ZiU-682V and ZiU-682G trolleybuses.
[06.2003]
A total of 11 vehicles, 10 serviceable [* out of commission]:
ZiU-682G: 11*
ZiU-VMZ-100: 10, 16, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 32, 33, 43 (2000+)
[10.2007, at the time of system closure]
A total of 8 vehicles, 5 serviceable [* out of commission]:
ZiU-VMZ-100: 21, 23, 25, 26, 28*, 32*, 33*, 43 (2000+)
All ZiU-VMZ-100 vehicles were a product of the last rolling stock upgrade that took place in 2000. These are refurbished ZiU-682G vehicles with VMZ-100 bodies manufactured in Vologda.
During final years of service prior to system closure, all operable vehicles remained in good state of repair and excellent cosmetic state.
OVERHEAD
[10.2007]
The overhead length at its maximum was 50.5 km one-way. Upon major suspensions that took place on 11.1997, namely the line to Zavod 'Gidroprivod' and the two lines to the satellite town of Artyom, as much as 55% of the overhead was removed, and only 22.5 km remained. After the final reduction upon the suspension of Line 1 in 2004, 15.5 km of the overhead remained.
Prior to system's closure the overhead was in a hopeless state of disrepair as the maintenance was virtually non-existent.
THE AFTERMATH
[11.2007]
Considering a disastrous state of local economy, and a wide spread and dominance of private carriers - the resurrection of the trolleybuses system, even though technically possible, is highly unlikely.
Usage of material found herein is permitted provided the source is mentioned. Usage for public display is possible with authors' permission only.