Polish bus manufacturer Solaris Bus & Coach has secured an order for 20 new trolleybuses from public transport operator MPK Lublin, strengthening its position in its home market and expanding emission-free public transport in eastern Poland.
MPK Lublin has selected the Solaris Trollino 12, a 12-metre trolleybus designed to carry up to 80 passengers, including 29 seated. The vehicles will be equipped with interior and exterior surveillance systems, USB charging ports for passengers and an automated passenger counting system to support detailed analysis of ridership patterns. Deliveries are scheduled for the first months of 2027.
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The new order will complement Lublin’s existing fleet of 120 zero-emission buses supplied by Solaris, which includes battery-electric buses, hydrogen buses and trolleybuses. Trollino 12 vehicles already account for 80 units, representing around two-thirds of the city’s emission-free fleet.
“Lublin is now among the leaders of electromobility in Poland, and we are proud that our vehicles genuinely support this development,” said Agata Stańda, chief executive of Solaris Bus & Coach. “Trolleybuses, together with electric and hydrogen buses, are one of the pathways to sustainable, environmentally friendly mobility in cities.”
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The newly ordered Trollino 12 trolleybuses will combine a conventional trolleybus drivetrain with onboard batteries, allowing them to operate beyond sections equipped with overhead lines. The batteries can be recharged while connected to the trolleybus network, giving operators greater flexibility and enabling route extensions without additional infrastructure investment.
Solaris said this hybrid trolleybus concept is increasingly being used by cities seeking to expand zero-emission public transport while managing infrastructure costs.
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While trolleybus systems have largely disappeared from many European countries, Solaris remains one of the few manufacturers still supplying the technology. In Germany, trolleybus networks continue to operate only in Eberswalde, Esslingen and Solingen, all of which use Solaris Trollino-series vehicles.