British Trolleybus Society

What is a Trolleybus?

Mike Dare with Reading 113


A Trolleybus is a tram without rails or a bus driven by electricity collected from overhead wires, depending on your point of view.

Originating in the tramway era as a cheaper option for lightly trafficked routes Britain had 50 operators between 1911 and 1972 running in many large towns & London suburbs.

Modern trolleybuses still operate in many cities around the world and are an environmentally friendly solution to urban transport problems.