NZ Bus No. 384 at the Lambton hub 6/6/2017

Hardly the ideal conditions for bus photography, No. 384 of 1 July 2009 captured at the Lambton Interchange running to Stop B on the Route 11 service to Seatoun on a wet Tuesday, 6 June 2017. Up the line at Waikanae however, it was nice sunny weather!

 

Was photoed on a day when few trolleybuses were working the 6 Wellington electrified bus routes which are scheduled to become extinct in October 2017.

 

EZS565 2009 Designline Citybus Trolley 7A874010908008262 Designline B43DW bodywork

 

TROLLEYS AT WHEEL FOR WHILE LONGER

By DAMIAN GEORGE

Dominion Post, 4 May 2017

Wellington's trolleybuses have been given a stay of execution and will remain until at least October, with the regional council still in the dark over when, or if, new Wrightspeed hybrid buses will arrive.

NZ Bus announced in April last year it had signed a $43 million deal to fit a "significant number" of its 1100 buses in Auckland and Wellington - including the capital's trolleys - with Wrightspeed motors, which operate mostly on rechargeable electric batteries, topped up by a small conventionally-powered motor.

The city's trolleybuses were set to be removed from service next month - but will now remain until later in 2017.

But Greater Wellington chairman Chris Laidlaw confirmed they will now continue until later this year with testing only just beginning on the Wrightspeed system.

Testing of the buses against Wellington's steep streets and harsh weather conditions was scheduled to take place in October, but NZ Bus said recently it was only due to receive the first prototype from Wrightspeed in late April.

While Laidlaw described the delay as an expected development, regional councillor Sue Kedgley said the situation was frustrating and she had serious concerns about the project's progress.

"Last October we were supposed to have the trials, and we still haven't had confirmation that the trials have been successful," she said.

"I'm very worried, which is what I always feared, that we're going to go from trolleybuses to diesel buses, and that would be a gigantic step backwards."

The council had been given no assurance on when, or if, the technology would be rolled out, and that created a worrying sense of uncertainty, she said.

Laidlaw said the extension of the trolleybuses was a procedural decision made for "logical" reasons. It did not go before the council but was understood by staff and councillors.

Diesel buses were a likely solution in the interim period, and the extension would provide "a bit more breathing space", Laidlaw said.

"All of us are awaiting the outcome of the testing with some interest. I hope it's successful."

Greater Wellington public transport manager Wayne Hastie said the trolley bus conversions would be done gradually, if and when the Wrightspeed technology was rolled out.

"Some of the trolleybuses could stop earlier, if that process if successful," he said. "How many are still running by October will depend on the rate at which the buses are converted."

Hastie was cautiously optimistic the Wrightspeed buses would be implemented.

NZ Bus chief executive Zane Fulljames could not be reached for comment, but said in April that testing of the prototype was expected to take about a month.

The company would decide during the testing process whether it would order the hybrid buses.

It hoped the buses would be up-and-running by the end of the year, should it go ahead with the order.

 

Done