Our last report from Sanremo still sounded quite hopeful – the trolleybus system, which had been neglected for years, was to be comprehensively modernised with the help of central government funding from the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT). The plan included the modernisation of the infrastructure and the purchase of 10 articulated and 13 solo trolleybuses with In-Motion Charging option (IMC) for extended trips off the existing overhead network.
Despite all the efforts and support from experts and some politicians, little happened afterwards; on the contrary, the operator Riviera Transporti (RT) ran into financial difficulties and discontinued electric operations on the ‘U’ city line in Sanremo in August 2021 – with only two operational trolleys in serviceable condition at the end. The last sporadic use of trolleybuses on the interurban line to Ventimiglia, 18 km away near the French border, had already been two years earlier, and on the other, 10 km long interurban line to Taggia in 2002.
Since February 2024, the overhead contact line has been in the process of being dismantled, and of the remaining vehicles, only the two Solaris Trollino 12s with Cegelec E-equipment are of potential interest to other transport operators; if no buyer can be found, they are likely to be scrapped together with the other Breda-trolleybuses, which are more than 30 years old.
A more detailed description of the operation can be found here:
