A First in Spain: Optiguide for Castellon’s Trolleybus Line

Siemens’ Optiguide optical guidance system allows the vehicle to very accurately follow the ideal route painted on the road and to dock as close to station platforms as possible.

This offers passengers comfortable, ground-level transfer between platform and vehicle, and meets everyone’s accessibility needs, especially those of persons with reduced mobility. It will not only operate when the vehicle docks at stations, but also right along the line. In bends the line is exactly calculated to ensure maximum comfort for passengers.

The line will initially serve five stations between Jaume I University and Ribalta Park, a fast-expanding district. The city plans to eventually extend this first line to a 20km-long route with dedicated lanes for the guided vehicles.

The vehicles selected for the line are 12m-long Civis new-generation trolleybuses manufactured by Irisbus Iveco. Accommodating 22 seats, including four wider seats for persons with reduced mobility, and a space for a wheelchair passenger, Castellon’s Civis buses have full air-conditioning and Iveco medium-power diesel engines, which provide necessary power when their trolley poles are not connected to the overhead powerlines.