Trolleybuses in Yerevan
Encyclopedia
The Yerevan trolleybus
system forms part of the public transport
network in Yerevan
, the capital city
of Armenia
. Since the closure of the Gyumri trolleybus system in 2005, it has been Armenia's only trolleybus system.
At its greatest extent, the system had 20 lines, operated by a total of 300 trolleybuses, the vast majority of which were either Czech made Škoda 9Tr or 14Tr units, or Soviet made ZiU-682
models.
In recent years, the system has shrunk, and most of the Soviet
era trolleybuses have been replaced by newer vehicles.
The latest trolleybuses in the fleet are mostly Russian made LiAZ-5280 vehicles, and second hand Berliet ER100 trolleybuses originally used in Lyon.
went out of control and fell from the dam
wall into the lake. The sound of this accident was heard by Shavarsh Karapetyan
, a multiple champion finswimmer
, who was training with his brother Kamo, also a finswimmer, by running alongside the lake.
The trolleybus lay at the bottom of the reservoir some 25 meters (80 ft) off the shore at a depth of 10 meters (33 ft). Karapetyan swam to it and, under conditions of almost zero visibility due to the silt
rising from the bottom, broke the back window with his legs. The trolleybus was crowded, it carried 92 passengers and Karapetyan knew he had little time, spending some 30 to 35 seconds for each person he saved.
Karapetyan managed to rescue 20 people, but this was the end of his sports career: the combined effect of cold water and the multiple wounds he received, left him lying unconscious for 45 days, with subsequent sepsis (due to the presence of raw sewer in the lake water) and lung complications preventing him from continuing his sports career.
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 forms 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 Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, the capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. Since the closure of the Gyumri trolleybus system in 2005, it has been Armenia's only trolleybus system.
History
Opened on 16 August 1949, the system was once much more extensive than it is today.At its greatest extent, the system had 20 lines, operated by a total of 300 trolleybuses, the vast majority of which were either Czech made Škoda 9Tr or 14Tr units, or Soviet made ZiU-682
ZiU-9
ZiU-9 is the Soviet trolleybus vehicle. Other names and indexes for the same vehicle include ZiU-682 and HTI-682 . The ZiU acronym stands for Zavod imeni Uritskogo, which means plant named after Moisei Uritsky, the Russian revolutionary...
models.
In recent years, the system has shrunk, and most of the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
era trolleybuses have been replaced by newer vehicles.
Fleet
The Yerevan trolleybus fleet still has a significant number of Škoda 14Tr units in service. The Škoda 9Trs and ZiU-682s have all been withdrawn.The latest trolleybuses in the fleet are mostly Russian made LiAZ-5280 vehicles, and second hand Berliet ER100 trolleybuses originally used in Lyon.
Accident
On 16 September 1976, a trolleybus operating alongside Yerevan LakeYerevan lake
Yerevan Lake is an artificial lake located in the capital of Armenia in Yerevan.The new US Embassy is located along its northwestern shore.- Bus accident in 1976 :...
went out of control and fell from the dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
wall into the lake. The sound of this accident was heard by Shavarsh Karapetyan
Shavarsh Karapetyan
Shavarsh Vladimirovich Karapetyan is a retired Soviet Armenian finswimmer, 13-times European Champion and seven-times USSR Champion, who saved 20 lives when a trolleybus fell into the Yerevan reservoir....
, a multiple champion finswimmer
Finswimming
Finswimming is the progression of a swimmer using monofins or normal swimfins either on the water surface or underwater, using only muscle strength. It is a discipline of underwater sports. The competition distances are same as for swimming...
, who was training with his brother Kamo, also a finswimmer, by running alongside the lake.
The trolleybus lay at the bottom of the reservoir some 25 meters (80 ft) off the shore at a depth of 10 meters (33 ft). Karapetyan swam to it and, under conditions of almost zero visibility due to the silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
rising from the bottom, broke the back window with his legs. The trolleybus was crowded, it carried 92 passengers and Karapetyan knew he had little time, spending some 30 to 35 seconds for each person he saved.
Karapetyan managed to rescue 20 people, but this was the end of his sports career: the combined effect of cold water and the multiple wounds he received, left him lying unconscious for 45 days, with subsequent sepsis (due to the presence of raw sewer in the lake water) and lung complications preventing him from continuing his sports career.
See also
- List of trolleybus systems
- Trolleybuses in former Soviet Union countriesTrolleybuses in former Soviet Union countriesThe first trolleybus vehicle in Russia was built in Saint Petersburg in 1902 at Frese machine-building factory. It utilised a carriage-type current collector like the early von Siemens prototypes. There was no attempt to organize passenger or cargo services at this time.The first operational...
- Yerevan MetroYerevan MetroThe Yerevan Metro is a rapid transit system that serves the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. The system was launched in 1981 and like most former Soviet Metros, its stations are very deep and intricately decorated with national motifs. The metro runs on a 13.4km line and currently services 10 active...