The Parapolitika report by Penya Avramidi on the abolition of trolleybuses was confirmed by Deputy Transport Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis. Speaking this morning on Parapolitika 90.1 radio show “Apenanti Mikrofona” with Vasilis Skouris and Sotiris Xenakis, he announced that cable removal will begin at the end of 2025 in Athens and Piraeus, with emphasis on strengthening the electric bus fleet as a more fiscally sound choice. Specifically, Kyranakis noted: “We will remove the cables from the Athens and Piraeus skylines, freeing them from this web of wires. In Piraeus, the cables prevent the tram from reaching its terminal station at the port. Cable removal works will begin in both centers, Piraeus and Athens, from the end of this year. It’s gradual work and I had to make this decision now because some old trolleybuses are being retired and we had to decide whether to go for new ones and cable renewal costing 20 million euros. Trolleybuses cost twice as much per kilometer as electric buses, and for every 2 new trolleybuses I could get 3 new electric buses. The decision has a clear fiscal character benefiting taxpayers. Some trolleybuses will remain on straight routes.”
Read: Traffic camera fines until end of October – What Kyranakis announced on Parapolitika 90.1 (Video)
Confirmation of the Parapolitika report
Thus, as the “P” report mentioned in July, the initiative bears the stamp of Konstantinos Kyranakis, who together with his staff team, proceeds decisively with its implementation as part of a broader, holistic plan to modernize urban transport. This is a plan carefully worked on from his first day in office and presented exclusively by the newspaper “PARAPOLITIKA,” as noted in Penya Avramidi’s article. According to information from ministry service factors and OASA executives, trolleybus abolition is not an isolated decision. Rather, it’s a link in a large chain of changes aiming at a more flexible, modern, clean and reliable transport system. An emblematic example is last Saturday’s trial 24-hour operation of the metro and selected bus lines.
Factors contributing to the trolleybus withdrawal decision
As the report mentioned and the minister noted today, the trolleybus fleet is aged and on the verge of being obsolete. More than 120 vehicles have exceeded 20 years of operation, with some models running continuously since 1999 (Neoplan, Van Hool), meaning for 26 full years. Many of these trolleybuses operate with technology that no longer exists in the global market.
Another factor considered for withdrawing this particular means of transport is its high maintenance cost, as spare parts are hard to find while availability is reduced. According to official data, only 60% of vehicles can be scheduled during peak hours. The rest remain in parked workshops, awaiting repair or retirement. Meanwhile, the economic burden from trolleybus operation is significant, disproportionate to its performance. The cost per vehicle-kilometer reaches 4.06 euros, making this particular means the most expensive in the urban transport system. In contrast, OSY buses cost significantly less.
Despite the high cost, trolleybus productivity remains low, as the “P” report mentioned. The total fleet, though theoretically adequate, is not fully utilized. While the available trolleybus fleet suffices for 6.53 million vehicle-kilometers annually, in practice only 4.89 million are executed, just 75% of scheduled. The same applies to human resources, as performance per driver is noticeably lower compared to buses, both in kilometers and utilization time.
Specifically, each driver executes only 14,432 vehicle-kilometers per year (versus 38,523 on buses), while each technician produces 19,827 vehicle-kilometers of maintenance, versus 86,461 for their bus counterparts. The result is a means that costs much but delivers little – and cannot meet the demands of a modern metropolis. The most resounding “alarm bell” doesn’t come from financial or technical data, but from passengers themselves, as ridership on trolleybuses is declining dramatically.
The picture is revealing: 30% of trolleybus lines serve only 13% of demand. On lines crossing main axes, ridership is extremely low. High-demand areas today are already served by buses or metro. Simultaneously, passenger satisfaction indicators – for waiting times, safety, cleanliness and reliability – remain at negative levels every year since 2019.
Waiting time is unpredictable, especially in afternoon hours when deviation from schedule reaches 75%, while average commercial speed touches only 13.4 km/h, when regular buses reach 18.4 km/h. The phrase “the trolleybus doesn’t come” is not hyperbole but statistics. And it’s not just about speed, but the overall experience. Simply put, the Transport Ministry sees that citizens have already abandoned the trolleybus – and now it’s the State’s turn to retire it. Voices supporting its preservation often refer to cities and examples abroad.
Indeed, in certain metropolitan centers – like Lyon, Budapest and San Francisco – the trolleybus system is maintained. What they overlook, however, are the completely different technological characteristics. These are new IMC (In Motion Charging) vehicles, with integrated batteries, off-network autonomy, modern electronic systems and ability to charge while moving from overhead cables. In other cases, like Prague, trolleybuses are maintained for historical or tourist reasons, with few lines and high operational subsidies. We’re talking about vintage tourist networks that function more as attractions than critical transport means.
In this context, in selected areas where trolleybuses continue serving substantial mobility needs, the prospect of modernizing the means is not ruled out, introducing new generation, modern electric trolleybuses and buses. Athens can leverage good practices from other European cities, adopting solutions that upgrade passenger experience and strengthen sustainable mobility.
Future without cables
Removing trolleybuses from central Athens and Piraeus is not a technical detail but a substantial act of aesthetic and functional public space upgrade. Overhead lines that have traversed streets, squares and central axes for decades no longer serve the modern rhythm and character of the city. With trolleybus abolition and cable removal, the city “breathes.” The urban sky clears, building facades are revealed, streets gain visual continuity and pedestrians experience a less burdened, more “readable” and human environment.
In many areas – from Patisia and Kypseli to Pangrati and central Piraeus – residents have lived for decades under a web of cables that not only provided visual fatigue but often hindered redevelopment projects, lighting, even tree planting. Aesthetic relief of public space is an integral part of modern transport policy that doesn’t limit itself to passenger transport but shapes the character and experience of the city.
Trolleybus abolition fits into this broader effort to renew and upgrade urban transport, where the network becomes cleaner, more flexible and closer to citizens’ real needs. It’s not simply the end of a means. It’s the beginning of a more functional and aesthetic urban landscape, centered on humans rather than infrastructure of the past.
Trolleybus withdrawal: Political choice and strategic orientation
At the core of this major change, as the report characteristically noted then, is not simply technocratic management of an obsolete means. There’s a clear political choice and strategic orientation, as Deputy Transport Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis doesn’t attempt to “patch up” the existing system but builds step-by-step a new architecture for urban transport through this specific measure, based on real data, sustainable technologies and a coherent vision for cities’ future.
As ministry sources told “Parapolitika” during summer, trolleybus abolition is not an isolated intervention but part of a broader, well-structured strategy including fleet modernization, service digitization, route restructuring and redesigning Athens’ transport map. This is infrastructure work – not just physical but institutional and administrative. It’s how we transition from transport fragmentation to a unified, clean and human mobility model. Trolleybus abolition is not the end of an era. It’s the beginning of another – where urban transport will no longer be a problem but part of the solution.
