Transport Geography Papers of Polish Geographical Society 2018, 21(4), 44-59 DOI 10.4467/2543859XPKG.18.023.10781 Received: 30.09.2018 Received in revised form: 14.12.2018 Accepted: 15.12.2018 Published: 31.12.2018 TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF trOLLEYBUS traNspOrt IN POLAND at THE END OF THE SECOND DECADE OF THE 21st CENTURY Trendy rozwojowe transportu trolejbusowego w Polsce pod koniec drugiej dekady XXI wieku Marcin Połom Department of Regional Development Geography, Institute of Geography, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Bażyńskiego 4 st., 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland e-mail: [email protected] Citation: Połom M., 2018, Trends in the development of trolleybus transport in Poland at the end of the second decade of the 21st century, Prace Komisji Geografii Komunikacji PTG, 21(4), 44–59. Abstract: Trolleybus transport played a changing role in Poland. Historically, these were both periods of dynamic development and rapid regression. The article analyzes the period from 2004 to 2018. An attempt was made to systematize and organize information on the development of trolleybus transport in this period. The available scientific literature as well as the economic, organizational and technological conditions for the functioning of trolleybus transport were analyzed. The analyzed period was undoubtedly a time of dynamic development of all three existing trolleybus systems in Poland. The structural funds of the European Union played a significant role in this, allowing to revitalize neglected and underinvested systems. At the same time, climate change has influenced global and local conditions in terms of the approach to transport in cities. Trolleybuses perfectly respond to the demands to reduce emissions from transport in cities. Also thanks to the development of battery technologies, trolleybuses have become more flexible in operation. The article compares the years 2004 and 2018, additionally illustrating the changes taking place on the maps. Key words: trolleybus transport, electrobility, sustainable transport, urban transport development Trends in the development of trolleybus transport in Poland at the end of the second decade of the 21st century 45 1. Introduction works in Gdynia with Sopot, Lublin and Tychy have undergone a huge transformation, becoming even In the last decade, trolleybus transport has under- exemplary in Europe. Many model solutions were gone a significant transformation and, at the same developed in these three trolleybus networks, which time, a major change in its perception. Some urban were then used by other European cities. transport researchers believed that there was no fu- The article is both organizing and comparative. It ture for trolleybuses, because vehicles dependent presents all the most important activities undertaken on the overhead catenary were inflexible in terms of in the field of trolleybus transport in Poland in the movement and costly to maintain. Two factors helped period 2004-2018. In the second part of the study, trolleybuses losing economic calculations. The first the condition of trolleybus transport in three cities one concerns the dynamic development of battery for 2004 and 2018 was compared. The research as- technology, in particular increasing their capacity, sumption of the article was to verify the claim that while reducing the size and, above all, weight. The trolleybus transport in Poland has survived and is second factor is related to the introduction of increas- developing thanks to the aid of the European Union, ingly restrictive policies in the field of climate pro- and the achievements in the field of technological tection. Negative climate change in the last decade solutions are a model that they use other carriers and has accelerated, and with it the European Union and local governments in Europe. other developed countries are tightening transport The study used literature sources and statistics policies by favoring zero-emission vehicles (Połom, published by the Economic Chamber of Public Trans- 2015b; Rasiński, 2018). port (Izba Gospodarcza Komunikacji Miejskiej - IGKM), In Poland, trolleybus transport enjoyed variable as well as unpublished materials of trolleybus com- popularity. After World War II, it allowed to rebuild panies and transport authorities from Gdynia, Lublin passenger transport in many cities. Then it was dis- and Tychy. Based on the dispersed sources, original placed by diesel buses, which began to be produced drawings were prepared, which illustrate the spatial domestically. During this period, trolleybuses were development and infrastructure investments made imported, first from France and then from Germany in the period 2004-2018. and Czechoslovakia. In the 1970s and 1980s, atten- tion was paid to trolleybuses again due to the liquid 2. Scientific background fuel crisis. At that time, it was planned to create many new trolleybus systems, but the implementation of In the scientific literature the subject of trolleybus these plans was opposed by the general economic transport is still relatively rare. Despite the fact that crisis in Poland. The political transformation at the trolleybuses perfectly respond to the postulates of turn of the 1980s and 1990s brought many changes transport policies from the local to the national level also in transport. Public transport shifted from central in terms of reducing the impact of transport on the financing to local governments, which contributed environment. In recent years, mainly issues related to the regression of expensive electric transport sys- to technical aspects have been addressed. There are tems, i.e. trams and trolleybuses. During this period, no studies comparing trolleybus transport with other trolleybuses in Dębica (1992), Warsaw (1995) and means of urban transport and analyzes related to Słupsk (1999) were abolished. The remaining three the actual impact of trolleybuses on the state of the trolleybus networks (Gdynia with Sopot, Lublin and environment in cities, taking into account various Tychy) survived the difficult period and although sources of electricity (e.g. in Poland from fossil fuels). decommissioning was considered in all three cases, Although urban transport remains an important ele- the plan was not implemented for various reasons ment of research in the field of transport econom- (Połom, 2015b). ics, there are few scientific papers devoted to the The beginning of the 21st century is a completely economic accounting of trolleybuses, especially in different reality. Poland’s accession to the European relation to other modes of urban transport. Since the Union made it possible first to use pre-accession beginning of the 21st century, several dozen works funds, and then structural funds, and slowly rebuild have been written on various aspects of the function- underinvested trolleybus systems, and then modern- ing of trolleybus transport in Poland and in the world, ize and develop them. Since 2004, trolleybus net- which have been collected and presented in tab. 1. 46 Marcin Połom Tab. 1. Review of the scientific literature on trolleybus transport in Poland and in the world. Described aspects: Sources: economic comparison Bartłomiejczyk et al., 2012; Klucininkas, Matulevicius, 2009; Kühne, with other means of public 2010, Połom, 2015b; Wołek, Wyszomirski, 2013 transport Bartłomiejczyk, Mirchevski, 2014; Grzelec, Wyszomirski, 2010; Falvo, Economic efficiency economic efficiency of 2012; Hebel, 2014; Jagiełło, 2016; Jagiełło, Gałka, 2016; Jagiełło, trolleybus transport Wołek, 2017; Kliucininkas, Matulevicius, Martuzevicius, 2012; Połom, 2015b; Tica et al., 2011; Wołek, Wyszomirski, 2013 Kołoś, Taczanowski, 2018; Połom, Turżański, 2011; Połom, 2015a; vehicle market Połom, 2015b; Połom, Turżański, Bartłomiejczyk, 2015; Połom, 2016; Bartłomiejczyk, Połom, 2011; Bartłomiejczyk, Połom, 2013; Połom, alternative power sources Bartłomiejczyk, 2011; Połom, 2015b; Wołek, Wyszomirski, 2013; Zalewska, 2017. Bartłomiejczyk, Połom, Staroński, 2013; Bartłomiejczyk, 2016; catenary and power system Bartłomiejczyk, Mirchevski, 2014; Hamacek et. al. 2014; Sopov, Biryukov, Vorfolomeyev, 2006; Technological aspects depot and workshops Jarzmik, 2008; Połom, 2015b; Bartłomiejczyk et al., 2012; Bartłomiejczyk, 2016; Bartłomiejczyk, Mirchevski, 2014; Borowik, Cywiński, 2016; Brazis, Latkovskis, vehicles Grigans, 2010; Dyr, 2013; Gładysz et al., 2016; Hamacek et. al. 2014, Molecki, 2018; Połom, Bartłomiejczyk, 2012; Połom, Bartłomiejczyk, 2015; Połom, 2015b; Wołek, Wyszomirski, 2013 comparison of operation Costa, Fernandes, 2012; Falvo, 2012; Klucininkas, Matulevicius, 2009; with other means of public Połom, 2015b; Tica et al., 2011; transport Klucininkas, Matulevicius, 2009; Połom, 2015b; Rasiński, 2018; Tica impact on the environment et al., 2011; Transport policies Anisiewicz, 2004; Bartłomiejczyk, Połom, 2013; Bartłomiejczyk, Połom, Goliszek, 2016; Bogusławski, 2006; Borowik, Cywiński, 2016; Cywiński, Brud, 2017; Falvo, 2012; Khorovitch, 2004; Molecki, 2011; organization of trolleybus Molecki, 2018; Molecki, 2013; Połom, 2014; Połom, 2015b; Rulaff, transport 2013; Tarnawski, Zalewska, 2018; Tica et al., 2011;Tuszyński, 2015; Wołek, 2012; Wołek, 2013; Wołek, Wyszomirski, 2013; Wyszomirski, Hebel, 2013 Source: Own elaboration. 3. Characteristics of the trends in the functioning of trolleybus transport in Europe and in the in many cases were to be ultimately liquidated at the world in the 21st century expense of buses. Thanks to the structural measures of the European Union,