Trolleybuses in St. Petersburg

Using the Trolleybus

Basically the trolleybus is an electric bus, receiving its power from overhead cables. They are not the fastest transportation system in St. Petersburg, but along with trams they are the most environmentally friendly. During the "rush-hour" they do become very crowded.

Trolleybus stops can be found by looking for a yellow sign with a blue letter "T". Pay the conductor in cash for a ticket or show your monthly pass.

History of the Trolleybus

On the 31st March 1902, the first trolleybus in St. Petersburg was tested by engineer P. A. Freze, but they did not enter regular service until the 21st October 1936. Originally they were built locally, but after a while better trolleybuses were bought from the city of Yaroslavi (on the Volga River). By the start of World War II, Leningrad had around 130 trolleybuses covering 5 lines. During the 900-day siege, the service stopped and did not resume until May 1944.

Since the war, the trolleybus netwrok has grown. By 1990, the city's network had 1,300 trolleybuses that carried 550 million passengers per year.