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Statistics Brief
publication

Global Trolleybus Figures 2025

  • Global
  • Battery
  • Data
  • Electric bus
Trolleybus around the world

Explore global trolleybus systems

257 cities. Over 40 countries. And a fleet of trolleybuses numbering 22,137. Millions of people across Eurasia, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin and North America use the trolleybus as an indispensable – and sustainable – form of mobility. And it’s been this way for over 130 years and counting.

During the 20th century, many cities opted instead for diesel buses and trams over trolleybuses. But today, thanks to the transition to cleaner and electric mobility, as well as improvements in battery technology like in motion charging (IMC), trolleybuses are having a resurgence. For cities, the potential to cut emissions and increase public transport accessibility is huge.

Explore trolleybus data from across the world and dive into the networks of 12 cities, from Vancouver to Athens, Shanghai, and more. Find out the world’s key trolleybus insights and more in UITP’s Global Trolleybus Figures.

Dive into the networks of cities around the globe:

  • Vancouver, Canada
  • Milan, Italy
  • Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Cagliari, Italy
  • Budapest, Hungary
  • Vilnius, Lithuania
  • Riga, Latvia
  • Guangzhou, China
  • Shanghai, China
  • Prague, Czech Republic
  • Athens, Greece
  • Rimini, Italy

Contents:

  • Introduction
  • Global presence and development
  • Trolleybus networks worldwide: a numerical overview (2024)
  • Fleet composition and trends
    • Largest networks
    • Largest EU fleets
    • Smallest European networks
    • Trolleybuses per network
  • Trends in electrification and modernisation
    • New trolleybuses put into service
    • Battery-operated trolleybuses
    • Declining systems
    • New and revived networks
  • Presence and development in selected trolleybus cities
  • eBRT within the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme
  • IMC trolleybus demand
  • Definition and methodology
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