Trolleybuses in Rosario
Encyclopedia
The Rosario trolleybus
system is part of the public transport
network in Rosario, the largest city in the province
of Santa Fe
, Argentina
.
Opened in 1959, the system presently comprises one line, designated as line K.
with the intersection of Avenida San Martín
and Saavedra, where there was a mini terminal for connections to the south. Over time, the line was extended to the intersection between Salta and Paraguay, then to Calle San Nicolás, and, two years later, to the Mariano Moreno bus station.
In late 1959, 40 trolleybuses were acquired from the Italian Fiat
- Alfa Romeo
- CGE
consortium. On 15 April 1960, line H was opened, with a route running from the Plaza Sarmiento to the city's northern boundary, with Granadero Baigorria
. Between August and December 1961, brand new Fiat trolleybuses arrived in Rosario, allowing network expansion with the creation of new lines. To reinforce the line H service, line J was opened in September 1961, and linked Plaza Sarmiento with Plaza Alberdi.
On 3 December 1961, line K began operating, from the corner of Necochea and Avenida Pellegrini
to the corner of Mendoza and Nicaragua. Its fleet was composed entirely of Fiat units.
As with line H, line K experienced strong demand, which led to the opening of line L on 8 January 1962. Line L connected Pellegrini and Necochea with Bv. Avellaneda and Mendoza. At the request of residents, it was extended in 1964 to the corner of Paraná and 9 de Julio, in front of the Rosario Oeste railway station
of the Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano
.
In 1967, to optimize fleet utilization, lines G and J were merged, and line M opened to connect San Martín and Muñoz with the Santa Fe–Cafferata bus terminal. Following these changes, lines M, H and K were operating with 45 trolleybuses in total.
, eight Fiat vehicles were destroyed, and three MAN and 14 other vehicles were damaged to varying degrees. Following these events, services on line H were suspended, because the 32 surviving units could only cover the requirements of lines K and M.
In 1970, 12 Mercedes-Benz "0 km" trolleybuses (manufactured in 1953 for the city of Bahia Blanca
, but not used there) entered the Rosario fleet, plus 11 vehicles that had been withdrawn from service in Mendoza. The arrival of these 23 units enabled the reintroduction of services on line H in 1971.
In 1979, during the military dictatorship (1976-1983), the trolleybus system was privatized. Around May 1980, the concessionaire acquired five large Soviet ZiU trolleybuses with three doors, but these vehicles had been poorly maintained, and were in service in Rosario for a very short time before being scrapped in 1984. During their limited time in service, they nevertheless created a great impression, due to their size and interior capacity, and air suspension. They had a front entrance door and two exit doors: one in the middle and another at the rear of the vehicle. Shortly after being put into service, the middle door was closed off.
After a long series of vicissitudes and mismanagement by the private concessionaire, the trolleybuses on the system were declining in quality of service and maintenance. They were gradually replaced by diesel powered units, and the trolleybus lines were either merged with other lines or eliminated.
On 31 December 1992, trolleybus services ceased on line K, the last Rosario trolleybus line still in operation.
The concessionaires were required to operate 20 trolleybuses, renovate feeder substations and make good the overhead wire network. They were also expected to extend the route network: Ciudad Universitaria at one end and Mendoza and Wilde at the other; the latter was partially extended, to Mendoza and Sanchez de Loria. Initially, the joint venturers were granted a period of 180 days to begin operating new trolleybuses, but that period had to be extended.
In 1994, the new trolleybuses arrived, with Volvo
chassis, bodywork by Brazil's Marcopolo
and electrical equipment by Powertronics
. These vehicles had 0 km on the odometer, but had been kept in storage since being manufactured in Brazil in 1987 for a trolleybus system in Belo Horizonte
that had not ultimately been completed.
After more than a decade of operations, and following the crisis of 2002, the company presented for bankruptcy due to an inability to pay workers' arrears. Trade union disputes coupled with a poor relationship between the concessionaires and the municipality were the triggers for the termination of the concession in October 2004. On the 25th of that month, line K passed into municipal control through Sociedad del Estado Municipal para el Transporte Urbano de Rosario (SEMTUR
).
In June 2005, fully repaired trolleybuses returned to the streets of the city in SEMTUR's grey and orange colors. During the previous month, one of the vehicles in the fleet had succumbed to a fire while undergoing internal repairs. It was the first of the 1994-acquired trolleybuses to be withdrawn from service. Eventually, the fleet was recomposed with 14 cars operating the Semtur service in place of the 20 that had comprised the whole fleet.
This article is based primarily upon a translation of the Spanish language version as at October 2011.
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...
system is part of the public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
network in Rosario, the largest city in the province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Santa Fe
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Opened in 1959, the system presently comprises one line, designated as line K.
Early years
The Rosario system opened on 24 May 1959. It replaced the old Rosario electric tramway network, which had been in existence since 1910. Initially, the system was operated by 10 German-made MAN trolleybuses. They worked the first line G, which linked the Plaza SarmientoPlaza Sarmiento (Rosario)
Plaza Sarmiento is a plaza in the city of Rosario, province of Santa Fe, Argentina. Its name is an homage to former Argentine president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento....
with the intersection of Avenida San Martín
San Martín Street (Rosario)
San Martín Street is an important street in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina. It runs north–south through the center of the city, from the coastal avenue by the Paraná River to the southern limit of the urbanized area...
and Saavedra, where there was a mini terminal for connections to the south. Over time, the line was extended to the intersection between Salta and Paraguay, then to Calle San Nicolás, and, two years later, to the Mariano Moreno bus station.
In late 1959, 40 trolleybuses were acquired from the Italian Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
- Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
- CGE
Compagnia Generale di Elettricità
The Compagnia Generale di Elettricità S.p.A. was Italian joint-stock company founded in 1921 in Milan. The company was widely know in Italy as simple acronym CGE, it was primarily owned and managed by General Electric USA....
consortium. On 15 April 1960, line H was opened, with a route running from the Plaza Sarmiento to the city's northern boundary, with Granadero Baigorria
Granadero Baigorria
Granadero Baigorria is a city in the south of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, located directly north of Rosario, on the western shore of the Paraná River, and forming part of the Greater Rosario metropolitan area...
. Between August and December 1961, brand new Fiat trolleybuses arrived in Rosario, allowing network expansion with the creation of new lines. To reinforce the line H service, line J was opened in September 1961, and linked Plaza Sarmiento with Plaza Alberdi.
On 3 December 1961, line K began operating, from the corner of Necochea and Avenida Pellegrini
Pellegrini Avenue (Rosario)
Pellegrini Avenue is a street in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina. It is a two-way avenue that runs east–west through the center-south of the city, from the coastal avenue by the Paraná River to the western limit of the urbanized area...
to the corner of Mendoza and Nicaragua. Its fleet was composed entirely of Fiat units.
As with line H, line K experienced strong demand, which led to the opening of line L on 8 January 1962. Line L connected Pellegrini and Necochea with Bv. Avellaneda and Mendoza. At the request of residents, it was extended in 1964 to the corner of Paraná and 9 de Julio, in front of the Rosario Oeste railway station
Rosario Oeste railway station
The Rosario Oeste Railway railway station is a former train station in Rosario, province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located in the west of the city, on the junction of Paraná St. and 9 de Julio St....
of the Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano
Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano
Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano , named after the Argentine politician and military leader Manuel Belgrano, was one of the six state-owned Argentine railway companies formed after President Juan Perón's nationalisation of the railway network in 1948...
.
In 1967, to optimize fleet utilization, lines G and J were merged, and line M opened to connect San Martín and Muñoz with the Santa Fe–Cafferata bus terminal. Following these changes, lines M, H and K were operating with 45 trolleybuses in total.
Decline
On 16 September 1969, during the protest movement known as the RosariazoRosariazo
The Rosariazo was a protest movement that consisted in demonstrations and strikes, in Rosario, , between May and September 1969, during the military dictatorial rule of de facto President General Juan Carlos Onganía...
, eight Fiat vehicles were destroyed, and three MAN and 14 other vehicles were damaged to varying degrees. Following these events, services on line H were suspended, because the 32 surviving units could only cover the requirements of lines K and M.
In 1970, 12 Mercedes-Benz "0 km" trolleybuses (manufactured in 1953 for the city of Bahia Blanca
Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca is a city located in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Atlantic Ocean, and seat of government of Bahía Blanca Partido. It has a population of 274,509 inhabitants according to the...
, but not used there) entered the Rosario fleet, plus 11 vehicles that had been withdrawn from service in Mendoza. The arrival of these 23 units enabled the reintroduction of services on line H in 1971.
In 1979, during the military dictatorship (1976-1983), the trolleybus system was privatized. Around May 1980, the concessionaire acquired five large Soviet ZiU trolleybuses with three doors, but these vehicles had been poorly maintained, and were in service in Rosario for a very short time before being scrapped in 1984. During their limited time in service, they nevertheless created a great impression, due to their size and interior capacity, and air suspension. They had a front entrance door and two exit doors: one in the middle and another at the rear of the vehicle. Shortly after being put into service, the middle door was closed off.
After a long series of vicissitudes and mismanagement by the private concessionaire, the trolleybuses on the system were declining in quality of service and maintenance. They were gradually replaced by diesel powered units, and the trolleybus lines were either merged with other lines or eliminated.
On 31 December 1992, trolleybus services ceased on line K, the last Rosario trolleybus line still in operation.
Revival
Following a new call for tenders, the concession to operate line K was awarded in late November 1992 to a joint venture composed of Capse SA (public lighting concessionaire) and Molino Blanco SRL (concessionaire of urban passenger transport lines 133 and 143). The joint venture then went on to be called ECO-Bus. Its concession was for a 15 year term, with an option for 5 more years.The concessionaires were required to operate 20 trolleybuses, renovate feeder substations and make good the overhead wire network. They were also expected to extend the route network: Ciudad Universitaria at one end and Mendoza and Wilde at the other; the latter was partially extended, to Mendoza and Sanchez de Loria. Initially, the joint venturers were granted a period of 180 days to begin operating new trolleybuses, but that period had to be extended.
In 1994, the new trolleybuses arrived, with Volvo
Volvo B58
The Volvo B58 is a mid-engined bus chassis built by Volvo of Sweden from 1966 until early 1982. It was the forerunner to the highly successful B10M....
chassis, bodywork by Brazil's Marcopolo
Marcopolo S.A.
Marcopolo S.A. is a bus manufacturer founded on August 6, 1949, in the southern Brazilian city of Caxias do Sul, state of Rio Grande do Sul. The company manufactures the bodies for a whole range of coaches, e.g. microbus, intercity and touring coach...
and electrical equipment by Powertronics
Avibras
Avibras Indústria Aeroespacial is a diversified Brazilian company which designs, develops and manufactures defense products and services. Its range of products encompasses artillery and aircraft defense systems, rockets and missiles...
. These vehicles had 0 km on the odometer, but had been kept in storage since being manufactured in Brazil in 1987 for a trolleybus system in Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...
that had not ultimately been completed.
After more than a decade of operations, and following the crisis of 2002, the company presented for bankruptcy due to an inability to pay workers' arrears. Trade union disputes coupled with a poor relationship between the concessionaires and the municipality were the triggers for the termination of the concession in October 2004. On the 25th of that month, line K passed into municipal control through Sociedad del Estado Municipal para el Transporte Urbano de Rosario (SEMTUR
SEMTUR
SEMTUR is a government-owned corporation based in Rosario, province of Santa Fe, Argentina...
).
In June 2005, fully repaired trolleybuses returned to the streets of the city in SEMTUR's grey and orange colors. During the previous month, one of the vehicles in the fleet had succumbed to a fire while undergoing internal repairs. It was the first of the 1994-acquired trolleybuses to be withdrawn from service. Eventually, the fleet was recomposed with 14 cars operating the Semtur service in place of the 20 that had comprised the whole fleet.
Line
The only line presently in operation is line K. It is fitted with "Kummler & Matter" system elastic overhead contact line of 85-100 mm² diameter.Fleet
The specifications of Rosario's current fleet of trolleybuses are as follows:| Number and numbering | 20 units (Nº 1 to Nº 20) |
| Year of manufacture / commissioning | 1987 / 1994 |
| Chassis and mechanicals | Volvo (Brazil) |
| Bodywork | Marcopolo Torino |
| Electrical equipment | POWERTRONICS / AVIBRAS |
| Length / width / height | 12 / 2.54 / 3.48 m (from lowest point) |
| Passengers seated / total | 39 / 110 |
| Electrical control system | "Chopper" type electronics with fixed frequency |
| Traction motors / power output | Villares / 110 kW Kw kw or KW may refer to:* Kuwait, ISO 3166-1 country code** .kw, the country code top level domain for Kuwait* Kilowatt* Self-ionization of water Kw* Cornish language's ISO 639 code* Kitchener–Waterloo, Ontario, Canada... |
| Maximum speed | 60 km/h |
| Maximum acceleration | 1.3 m/s |
| Brakes / steering / suspension | Electric and pneumatic / hydraulic / pneumatic |
External links
This article is based primarily upon a translation of the Spanish language version as at October 2011.