Volgodonsk trolleybus

After the start of the construction of Atommash, Volgodonsk began to grow rapidly. In just four years, the population of the city tripled (to one hundred thousand inhabitants), and therefore the city began to experience transport difficulties. To solve them, in 1976, it was decided to put a trolley in the city.

The construction of the trolley bus moved fast. The very first line connected two large city-forming enterprises - Volgodonsky Chemical Plant (VCP) and Atommash, passing through the city center - Komsomolskaya Square. The first test drive of the trolleybus through the city streets took place on June 30, 1977 , and on October 4 of the same year, trolleybuses began to transport citizens on the VHZ - Atommash route (trolleybus route No. 1). At the time of opening, the number of trolleybuses in Volgodonsk was 25 units.

The construction of the trolleybus was funded by Atommash. This was a normal practice for Volgodonsk, for example, schools, hospitals and other social infrastructure were also funded by Atommash. During the first year of its operation, the trolleybus economy was on the balance sheet of Atommash and belonged to its transport department. The first trolleybus depot was set up near the VHZ, in the area of ​​the current remains of the Volgodonsktranszakazchik (VTZ). Now Depot-1 is not valid.

On July 1, 1978, by decision of the city executive committee, the trolleybus economy was transferred to the city. At the same time, the Volgodonsk trolleybus office (VTU) was organized in Krasniy Yar.

Over the next years, the Volgodonsk trolley bus developed dynamically, new routes opened regularly. Some examples:

• 1981 - the route to the village of Shluzy, was subsequently extended to the Volgodonsk experimental-experimental plant - VOEZ (now it is routes No. 3 and 3a).
• April 1984 - line to Prospect Mira along the streets of Enthusiasts - Leningradskaya - Prospect Kurchatov - Academician Korolev Street (now these are routes No. 3 and 3a).
• 1985 - a route with a length of 16.5 kilometers to the Rostov NPP , (now closed route number 7).

In November 1991, there was an open new trolleybus depot (Depot-2). It is located in the New Town area. Two new routes were laid to this depot (Nos. 8 and 9); thus, the total number of trolleybus routes of Volgodonsk reached nine. Later routes 3a and 4a were added, the total number increased to 11.

The number of trolleybuses also increased. By the beginning of the nineties, 78 cars were already working on the streets, all of them were ZiU-9 (modification of ZiU-682). However, in the nineties, due to the poor economic situation throughout the country, hard times came for the Volgodonsk trolleybus. New trolleybuses were not purchased, and old ones gradually deteriorated. It got to the point that in the late 90s, only forty trolley buses could go to the streets of the city. Numerous plans for the construction of new routes were also put on hold. Route No. 7 "Komsomolskaya - Rostov NPP Area" was generally mothballed and subsequently closed.

However, after the resumption of construction of the Rostov NPP, the financial situation improved slightly, and after 2000 the city purchased 10 new Volgograd-made cars (VZTM-5284). It is interesting that this time the financing of the city trolleybus was provided by Atommash. Subsequently, the trolleybus fleet in Volgodonsk was updated several more times. In 2007 , two BTZ-5276-04 trolleybuses were purchased, in 2008 - six LiAZ-5280 trolleybuses, and in 2010 - nine more cars of the same make. The last update was in August 2015. Then the governor of the Rostov region Vasiliy Golubev gave Volgodonsk 10 new Belarusian-made cars.

On December 31, 2008 a new trolleybus line was opened (Leningradskaya St. - K. Marx St. - Lazorevy Ave. - Mira Ave.), encircling one of the most distant areas of the city - B-9 quarter. Trolleybuses 3 and 3a now run along it; previously routes 4 and 4a existed.

Results of work:

Existing routes ^[1]

Closed routes

Currently, trolleybuses of the ZIU-682, VZTM-5284, LiAZ-5280 and BTZ-5276-04 brands daily go on routes.

• Article from Omnibus Magazine (From the middle of the page)
• Volgodonsk trolleybus on the site "Trolleybus cities of Russia"