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Trolmerida
The Merida trolleybus system is an electrified bus rapid transit system that serves Merida, Venezuela, and surrounding communities. The current line, operated by dual-mode trolleybuses, is considered to be "Line 1" of a planned three-route "Mass Transport System" (Sistema de Transporte Masivo), of which Line 2 is also to be trolleybus and Line 3 is to be an aerial cableway. Line 3 was originally planned as a funicular, but was changed to a cableway in 2005. Construction has yet to begin on Lines 2 or 3, but the latter is expected to proceed first. The operator of the system was originally named Trolmerida, but in September 2009 its name was changed to Tromerca, for Trolebus Merida, C.A.Trolleybus Magazine (UK) No. 289 (January-February 2010), p. 23.
The route
Only a little more than half of Line 1 has opened, thus far. If completed as planned, the full Line 1 will be 18.2 km in length and have 34 stations.
The first 10.2-km section, serving 15 stations, was inaugurated on June 18, 2007. The route connects Ejido with Merida. Service currently ends at Pie del Llano station, south of Merida city center. Construction continues, somewhat sporadically, on the section of the line extending northeastwards from there, into the city center.
The following stations are in full operation:
Terminal Ejido
Pozo Hondo
Centenario
Montalban
Las Cruces
Pan de Azucar
La Parroquia (proposed Line 2 transfer point)
La Mara
Alto Chama
Carrizal
Museo de Ciencias
Las Tapias
El Acuario
San Antonio
Pie del Llano.
The following stations of Line 1 are under construction or planned:
Santa Juana
Soto Rosa
Maria Mazzarello
Campo de Oro
Juan XXIII
Luis Ghersy
Medicina, facultad de
Liceo Libertador
Simon Bolivar (transfer stop to future Line 2)
Obispo Lora (transfer stop to future Line 2)
Las Americas
Sor Juana Ines
Plaza de Toros
Albarregas
Santa Ana
Domingo Salazar
Fundacite
Los Chorros
Nucleo La Hechicera
Operation
The route is served by a fleet of 45 articulated trolleybuses supplied in 2003 by a partnership of Hispano Carrocera and Mercedes-Benz of Spain, with the vehicles' electrical propulsion equipment provided by Bombardier. Ordered in December 1998, all 45 were delivered in 2003, but construction of the line had fallen behind schedule by then, so the vehicles were stored for an extended period, until the first section of the route was completed.Trolleybus Magazine (UK) No. 259 (January-February 2005), p. 24.
Like other BRT systems, the vehicles operate in their own exclusive lanes over the route's entire length, to avoid delays from traffic congestion and reduce travel times. Boarding takes place at fully enclosed, high-platform stations, permitting quick boarding and alighting of passengers. Similar to many modern light rail and metro systems, the platforms are vertically aligned with the vehicles' floors, and the vehicles have no steps at their doorways. The only previous trolleybus system to use such a system of level boarding at high platforms is El Trole in Quito, Ecuador, and the Merida system was said to be modeled on the Quito system, which has been very successful. Fare collection will take place within the stations, before boarding, so that loading can take place via all three vehicle doorways simultaneously. However, as the line is still in its first phase, and has not yet reached the city center, the start of fare collection has been delayed, and all rides are free at present.
Future routes
Line 2, the second trolleybus route, is only in the planning stages and is expected to be 12 km long with 3 common stations alongside or crossing Line 1. It would connect La Parroquia with La Vuelta de Lola. Line 3, the planned aerial cableway, would connect San Jacinto, in the Chama River valley, to a Line 1 trolleybus station in central Merida and would be about 3 km long.
See also
Trolleybus
List of trolleybus systems
Bus rapid transit
External links
The Trolleybuses of Merida: description, map, 29 photos
Official Trolmerida website (in Spanish)
Official Tromerca website (in Spanish), still under construction in January 2010
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Trolmerida
