Trolleybuses in Mariánské Lázně
The Mariánské Lázně trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network in Mariánské Lázně, in the Czech Republic. The spa town located in the western part of the Czech Republic is one of the smallest towns in the world that still has an operating trolleybus system. It was established as a replacement for older no longer adequate tram system and went into operation on 27 April 1952, when Mariánské Lázně was in Czechoslovakia. The very first vehicles to operate the newly established network were Škoda 7Tr. Since 2006 the public transport in Mariánské Lázně is operated by Městská Doprava Mariánské Lázně s. r. o. company.
The new trolleybus system not only connected railway station with the city centre, which the previous tram system did, but also extended the operation to other town areas. Over the years the reach of the network extended practically to all directions connecting all major parts of the town. In its top peak the system consisted of the following terminus stations: "Antoníčkův pramen", "Panská pole", "Goethovo náměstí", "City Service", "Velká Hleďsebe" and "Lesní pramen". However, the service to Lesní pramen was suspended from 1979 to 1986 and then finally ended in 1996. The remaining trolleybus wires in this section were removed in 2012.
Trolleybus lines in operation
There are currently 4 trolleybus lines in operation in Mariánské Lázně. Lines 6 and 7 require hybrid trolleybuses to service small parts of the network not-equipped with overhead wires.| Line number | Terminus A | Terminus B | Note |
| 3 | Antoníčkův pramen | Kolonáda | Workdays only |
| 5 | Panská Pole | Kolonáda | |
| 6 | City service | Klimentov | Workdays only |
| 7 | Antoníčkův pramen | Kolonáda |
Attempts to close the system
Late 90s and early 2000s
Since the second half of 1990s the town's council tried to get rid of the trolleybus network claiming high maintenance costs. The fact the network was under-maintained and the vehicles were old did not make the situation any better. However, thanks to strong citizen reactions against the removal of such network it was finally decided to purchase new trolleybuses. In between the years 2004 and 2006 seven new Škoda 24tr vehicles were purchased, partially using EU funds. Only 2 older Škoda 14Tr vehicles remained as a backup.2013 – 2015
Another attempt to close the system started with the council's decision made in September 2013. It was decided to slowly replace trolleybuses with buses and eventually battery powered buses. Other quicker variant of stopping the service sooner was not possible as there was an EU restriction in place on a new bus terminal near the main train station which is also used by trolleybuses. Since EU fond helped financing the terminal they expected it to stay intact and work the way it was designed to at least till 2017.Since a new town council was elected and the new representatives decided to open talks with public and with specialists, which claimed trolleybuses with batteries are more feasible than plain battery powered buses, it was decided the trolleybus network will stay. The following pros were stated in favour of the existing trolleybus network:
- Although maintenance cost are slightly higher than in case of battery buses, the infrastructure is already there and there is no need to build new charging stations
- There is currently very little experience with plain battery powered buses
- Battery buses would need more batteries to be able to cover the same area current trolleybus and bus network cover and therefore would consume more power than trolleybuses equipped with less batteries only enough to extend the wired network
- Trolleybus network is more reliable as the power input is ensured over the static wires, while with batteries only there is a higher chance something may go wrong – e.g. in Berlin the electro-bus reliability is about 40% and that is not feasible for a small town like Mariánské Lázně where such vehicles would take over the whole transportation system and where even a small issue would be felt
- Trolleybuses with batteries can charge while in operation so there is less or even no need for the vehicles to keep still and wait until they charge
- Trolleybus network may attract some tourists, especially an unusual network such as the one in Mariánské Lázně
The wired network state
Generally the network state seen in Mariánské Lázně is the worst in the Czech Republic. At first sight it is obvious the network was under-maintained. Unlike other Czech trolleybus systems some components of the network are very old including switches, some of which are still the ancient high angle Power-on/Power-off types. Newer radio-controlled switches only started appearing in 2013 and are second-hand merchandise from Plzeň. Those aspects of the system make restrictions on how fast the trolleybuses can run as in some areas the state of the network is pretty bad. Another major issue is the old and outgoing substation which is in the need of a quick replacement.Fleet
Since 2006 there are 7 Škoda 24Tr vehicles in operation. One of the vehicles is a prototype and started its service in 2004 after which all the other newer trolleybuses started appearing in the town. Another was initially designed for Zlín, but as it caught fire while transported to Zlín the public transport company there decided to reject this vehicle. However it was repaired by Škoda Transportation and is now in operation in Mariánské Lázně with an unusual colour combination. Three of 7 Škoda 24Tr units are equipped with a diesel generator to extend the trolleybus network reach.The 7 modern low-floor vehicles are backed up by one Škoda 14Tr. The original ones which operated in Mariánské Lázně prior to Škoda 24Tr were all removed from the service but a backup vehicle was needed so second-hand vehicle Škoda 14TrM was purchased from the public transport company in Plzeň.
| Vehicle type | Count | Note | |
| Škoda 24Tr | 7 | one of the vehicles is a prototype, another was previously designed for Zlín | |
| Škoda 14Tr | 1 | previously in service in Plzeň |