TransLink's new trolley buses get four doors and battery tech
Polish-made Solaris buses will replace aging fleet with extra rear door, LED displays, and 20km off-wire range by 2028.
TransLink's new generation of trolley buses, set to arrive starting in 2028, will feature design upgrades and advanced battery technology that dramatically improve flexibility compared to the current aging fleet.
The public transit authority has ordered 275 trolley buses from Polish manufacturer Solaris Bus & Coach—a net gain of 13 vehicles. The incoming fleet includes 183 regular 40-foot buses and 92 articulated 60-foot buses, all built on Solaris's Trollino platform.
The most visible change is an extra door: the new 60-foot articulated buses will have four doors total (including one at the rear), while the 40-foot buses will have three. The new vehicles also feature multiple LED next-stop displays and push buttons for stop requests rather than pull cords. Some seats will be red to visually indicate priority seating for seniors, pregnant women, passengers with young children, and people with disabilities.
Beyond aesthetics, the buses carry game-changing battery technology. Unlike TransLink's current trolleys, which can travel less than one kilometre when disconnected from overhead wires, the new Solaris buses can operate for up to 20 kilometres off-wire with in-motion recharging when reconnected. This offers "greatly enhanced resiliency, redundancy, and flexibility" for operations.
The first 40-foot trolley bus will arrive in Metro Vancouver later this year for local testing. The first 60-foot model's arrival date hasn't been set. TransLink selected Solaris for cost-competitiveness, delivery timelines, and the battery capability—a priority given the production backlogs facing Canadian bus manufacturers like New Flyer.