Trolleybuses in Sofia

Trolleybus transport was the last form of surface public transport to develop in Sofia, after buses and trams. The first Sofia trolleybus line opened on 14 February 1941. It was over 3 km (2 mi) long, and connected the city with the Gorna Banya quarter.[1] The line was covered by 2 MAN trolleybuses, which were stored on the last stops during the night, due to the lack of depot.

In the 1950s and 1960s, massive development of the trolleybus transport in Sofia began. At that time, the construction of new trolleybus routes proceeded especially rapidly, and two depots ("Stochna Gara" and "Nadezhda") were opened, with a total capacity of 160 trolleybuses. In 1951, the first Bulgarian made trolleybuses entered service.[1]

In 1987, a new depot, "Iskar", was opened with a capacity of 130 trolleybuses.[1] Levski depot was opened in 1994 with capacity of 60 trolleybuses. As of 2015 two depots are in operation: Nadezhda and Iskar. Levski depot operates as a maintenance only facility.

As of April 2020, the following trolleybus lines in Sofia are in service:

• Nadezhda - located on podpolkovnik Kalitin street, operates lines 1, 6, 7 and 9;
• Iskar - located on Amsterdam street, operates lines 2, 4, 5, 8 and 11;
• Levski - located on Bessarabia street, serves as maintenance and overhaul facility and for storage and dismantling of decommissioned vehicles

• Sofia Metro
• Sofia Public Transport
• Sofia Tramway
• List of trolleybus systems

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Trolleybuses in Sofia.

• Images of the Sofia trolleybus system, at railfaneurope.net
• "Trolleybus city: Sofia (Bulgarien)". Trolleymotion.
• Sofia database / photo gallery and Sofia trolleybus list at Urban Electric Transit – in various languages, including English.