El Trole
Encyclopedia
The Quito trolleybus system is a bus rapid transit
line located in Quito
, Ecuador
, which opened in 1995 and by 2002 was carrying about 220,000 passengers per day. It is managed by an agency of the municipality known as Empresa Metropolitana de Servicios y Administración del Transporte
(EMSAT) and is operated by Compañía Trolebús Quito, S.A. The service is named El Trole, Spanish for "The Trolley", meaning trolleybus
; this name is shown on signage at stops, and is used in publicity and marketing. El Trole is a subsystem of a larger bus rapid transit system of Quito known as MetrobusQ
.
(E 35) that is within Quito. The three segments of E 35 inside Quito are Avenida Diez de Agosto (northern Quito), Calle Guayaquil (center of Quito) and Avenida Pedro Vicente Maldonado (south of Quito). Seven different passenger services, or circuitos, are operated along the trolleybus route, differing in their terminus locations but overlapping one another.
The initial 11.2-km line opened in three stages between 17 December 1995 and 21 April 1996, and connected the La "Y" district, in northern Quito and near Mariscal Sucre International Airport
, to the El Recreo shopping mall (Centro Comercial El Recreo), in southern Quito, via the city center. On 30 April 2000, the line was extended south by 5 km to Morán Valverde. On 19 December 2008, it was extended farther south and east, by 2.5 km, to Quitumbe, where it terminates at a large new intercity-bus station. This latest extension brought the length of the full line to 18.7 km.
Between the Machángara River
and the Villa Flora stop, the line originally followed separate streets in opposite directions: southbound along Avenida Cardenal Carlos Maria de la Torre and northbound along Avenida Maldonado, but the section along Cardenal de la Torre was closed in 2003, and the route thereafter has followed Avenida Maldonado in both directions along that section.
trolleybus
es, built by Hispano Carrocera
and Mercedes-Benz
, with electrical equipment by Vossloh-Kiepe and AEG
/Adtranz
. For the first phase, 54 vehicles were delivered in 1995-96. Another 59 very similar vehicles were delivered in 1999-2000 for the system's expansion.
The line operates in dedicated trolleybus-only lanes over almost its entire length, and the trolleybuses are given traffic-signal priority at most intersections. Large terminals, called Estaciones, are located at the line's two original termini, Estación Norte La "Y" and Estación Sur El Recreo, and also at Morán Valverde and Quitumbe. In between these large terminals are many smaller stations, known as paradas (or "stops"), spaced about 550 meters apart, on average. In addition to the traffic separation and signal priority, other features of El Trole intended to facilitate fast service—and making the operation similar to many light rail
lines—include the arrangements at stops:
The scheduled service frequency is very high at most times, over most of the line, with the headways/intervals being as short as 60 seconds during peak periods. All four of the major Estaciones (transfer terminals) are served by several suburban bus
routes, "feeding" the trolleybus line, and transfers made there are free.
The original operator of El Trole was a department of the municipal government known as Unidad Operadora del Sistema Trolebús (UOST), but around March 2008 operation was transferred to Compañía Trolebús Quito S.A., a newly formed private company that is believed to be still municipally owned.
Avenida Diez de Agosto:
Within the Centro Histórico:
Avenida Maldonado:
Along the route extensions opened in 2000 and 2008, mostly along Av. Hugo Ortiz, Av. Quitumbe Ñan and Av. Cóndor Ñan:
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
line located in Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, which opened in 1995 and by 2002 was carrying about 220,000 passengers per day. It is managed by an agency of the municipality known as Empresa Metropolitana de Servicios y Administración del Transporte
Empresa Metropolitana de Servicios y Administración del Transporte
Empresa Metropolitana de Servicios y Administración del Transporte is the transportation government agency of the municipality of Quito, Ecuador.-Operations:...
(EMSAT) and is operated by Compañía Trolebús Quito, S.A. The service is named El Trole, Spanish for "The Trolley", meaning trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
; this name is shown on signage at stops, and is used in publicity and marketing. El Trole is a subsystem of a larger bus rapid transit system of Quito known as MetrobusQ
MetrobusQ
MetrobusQ or Sistema MetrobusQ is a bus rapid transit system managed by the Empresa Metropolitana de Servicios y Administración del Transporte , the transportation agency of the municipality of the city of Quito, Pichincha Province, Ecuador...
.
The route
The trolleybus system is composed of a single 18.7-km line that runs, with a few exceptions, through the part of Ecuador Highway 35Ecuador Highway 35
Ecuador Highway 35 , officially named "Troncal de la Sierra" but colloquially known as "La Panamericana", is a primary highway in Ecuador. This road is Ecuador's portion of the Pan-American Highway...
(E 35) that is within Quito. The three segments of E 35 inside Quito are Avenida Diez de Agosto (northern Quito), Calle Guayaquil (center of Quito) and Avenida Pedro Vicente Maldonado (south of Quito). Seven different passenger services, or circuitos, are operated along the trolleybus route, differing in their terminus locations but overlapping one another.
The initial 11.2-km line opened in three stages between 17 December 1995 and 21 April 1996, and connected the La "Y" district, in northern Quito and near Mariscal Sucre International Airport
Mariscal Sucre International Airport
Mariscal Sucre International Airport is the international airport serving Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. It is named after Venezuelan born Antonio José de Sucre, known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" , a hero of Ecuadorian and Latin American independence...
, to the El Recreo shopping mall (Centro Comercial El Recreo), in southern Quito, via the city center. On 30 April 2000, the line was extended south by 5 km to Morán Valverde. On 19 December 2008, it was extended farther south and east, by 2.5 km, to Quitumbe, where it terminates at a large new intercity-bus station. This latest extension brought the length of the full line to 18.7 km.
Between the Machángara River
Machángara River
-References:* Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993.* *...
and the Villa Flora stop, the line originally followed separate streets in opposite directions: southbound along Avenida Cardenal Carlos Maria de la Torre and northbound along Avenida Maldonado, but the section along Cardenal de la Torre was closed in 2003, and the route thereafter has followed Avenida Maldonado in both directions along that section.
Operation
Service is provided by a fleet of 113 articulatedArticulated bus
An articulated bus is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-deck design, and comprises two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint...
trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es, built by Hispano Carrocera
Hispano Carrocera
Tata Hispano Motors Carrocera , based in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, is one of the largest manufacturers of bus and coach cabins in Europe. It is a fully owned subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. Tata Motors acquired control of the company in 2005, after purchasing a 21% stake in the company...
and Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, with electrical equipment by Vossloh-Kiepe and AEG
AEG
Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft was a German producer of electrical equipment founded in 1883 by Emil Rathenau....
/Adtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
. For the first phase, 54 vehicles were delivered in 1995-96. Another 59 very similar vehicles were delivered in 1999-2000 for the system's expansion.
The line operates in dedicated trolleybus-only lanes over almost its entire length, and the trolleybuses are given traffic-signal priority at most intersections. Large terminals, called Estaciones, are located at the line's two original termini, Estación Norte La "Y" and Estación Sur El Recreo, and also at Morán Valverde and Quitumbe. In between these large terminals are many smaller stations, known as paradas (or "stops"), spaced about 550 meters apart, on average. In addition to the traffic separation and signal priority, other features of El Trole intended to facilitate fast service—and making the operation similar to many light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
lines—include the arrangements at stops:
- All fare collection takes place off of the vehicles, and the boarding area is a "paid areaPaid areaIn rail transport, the paid area is a dedicated "inner" zone in a railway station sealed by barriers. A system using paid areas is often called fare control. Passengers are allowed to enter or exit only through a faregate...
", to which passengers are given access (via turnstiles) only upon paying (to a ticket machineTicket machineA ticket machine, also known as a ticket vending machine , is a vending machine that produces tickets. For instance, ticket machines dispense train tickets at railway stations and tram tickets at some tram stops and in some trams...
or agent) or showing a prepaid fare instrument such as a monthly passTransit passA transit pass is a ticket that allows a passenger of the service take either a certain number of pre-purchased trips, or unlimited trips within a fixed period of time...
. This allows boarding and alighting to take place simultaneously at all three doorways of each vehicle. - All stops have high-level boarding platforms that are vertically aligned with the floors of the trolleybuses, allowing level, step-free boarding. The vehicles are equipped at each doorway with bridge plateBridge plateBridge plates are used on some low-floor light rail vehicles to provide for wheelchair access. The bridge plate extends from the vehicle to the platform, which must be raised to close to the level of the floor of the vehicle so that the wheelchair need not travel over an excessively steep ramp...
s that fold down at stops, to bridge the gap between the vehicle and the platform.
The scheduled service frequency is very high at most times, over most of the line, with the headways/intervals being as short as 60 seconds during peak periods. All four of the major Estaciones (transfer terminals) are served by several suburban bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
routes, "feeding" the trolleybus line, and transfers made there are free.
The original operator of El Trole was a department of the municipal government known as Unidad Operadora del Sistema Trolebús (UOST), but around March 2008 operation was transferred to Compañía Trolebús Quito S.A., a newly formed private company that is believed to be still municipally owned.
Stop locations
These are the stations and stops of the trolleybus line and the street intersections where they are located:Avenida Diez de Agosto:
- Estación Norte - La "Y": Av. 10 de Agosto y Cofanes
- Parada La "Y": Av. 10 de Agosto y Pereira
- Parada Estadio (Estadio Olímpico AtahualpaEstadio Olímpico AtahualpaEstadio Olímpico Atahualpa is a multi-purpose stadium in Quito, Ecuador. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 39,816. Built in 1951, it sits at the intersection of the Avenida 6 de Diciembre and Avenida Naciones Unidas, two major streets in Ecuador's...
): Avs. 10 de Agosto y Naciones Unidas - Parada La Carolina: Avs. 10 de Agosto y República
- Parada Florón: Av. 10 de Agosto y Rumipamba
- Parada Mariana de Jesús: Avs. 10 de Agosto y Mariana de Jesús
- Parada Cuero y Caicedo: Av. 10 de Agosto y Cuero y Caicedo
- Parada Colón: Avs. 10 de Agosto y Colón
- Parada Santa Clara: Av. 10 de Agosto y Veintimilla
- Parada Mariscal: Av. 10 de Agosto y Jorge Washington
- Parada Ejido: Av. 10 de Agosto y Bogotá
- Parada La Alameda: Av. 10 de Agosto y Ante
- Parada Banco Central (Banco Central del Ecuador): Av. 10 de Agosto y Caldas (southbound only)
- Parada San Blas (northbound only): Calle Montúfar y Guayaquil
Within the Centro Histórico:
- Parada Plaza del Teatro: southbound stop at Guayaquil y Manabí, northbound stop at Montúfar y Manabí
- Parada Plaza Grande: Guayaquil y Espejo (southbound only)
- Parada Santo Domingo: Guayaquil y Rocafuerte
Avenida Maldonado:
- Parada Cumandá: Avs. Maldonado y 24 de Mayo
- Parada Recoleta: Av. Maldonado y la Exposición
- Parada Jefferson Pérez: Av. Maldonado y El Sena (at the Machángara River crossing) (southbound only)
- Parada Colina: Av. Maldonado y Alpahausi (northbound only)
- Parada Chimbacalle: Av. Maldonado near the terminal station of the Guayaquil & Quito RailwayEmpresa de Ferrocarriles EcuatorianosThe Ferrocarriles del Ecuador Empresa Publica is the national railway of Ecuador. The railway system was devised to connect the Pacific coast with the Andean highlands. After many decades of service the railway was severely damaged by the El Niño in 1997 and 1998 and general neglect...
- Parada Villa Flora: Av. Maldonado y Ernesto Terán
- Estación Sur El Recreo: Av. Maldonado y Rivas
Along the route extensions opened in 2000 and 2008, mostly along Av. Hugo Ortiz, Av. Quitumbe Ñan and Av. Cóndor Ñan:
- Parada Calzado
- Parada España
- Parada Quito Sur
- Parada Internacional
- Parada Ajaví
- Parada Solanda
- Parada Mercado Mayorista
- Parada Quimiag
- Parada Registro Civil
- Estación Morán Valverde
- Parada Amaru Ñan
- Parada Cóndor Ñan
- Estación Quitumbe
External links
- "The Trolleybuses of Quito" (web page with history, map and 62 photos).
- Map of system as of early 2009.
- Official website (Spanish)