Athens public transport company OASA is replacing 130 electric trolleybuses with 100 new electric buses. The overhead lines for the trollybuses should be completely removed by 2027, when all the new electric buses have been introduced.
Trolleybuses have been transporting people in Athens since at least 1949, and possibly even since 1929 by some accounts. Although the vehicles have been updated since then, most of the trolleybuses are twenty years old. According to Greek Reporter, age mechanical inefficiencies mean that actual kilometres travelled by the trolleybuses are 75 per cent lower than the expected performance based on fleet size and capacity.
In 2020, Athens and Thessaloniki announced that they considered expanding their bus fleets by 1,300 buses – most of which are electric. A total of 250 electric buses from Chinese manufacturer Yutong went into operation in both cities last year. In February 2025, the Greek Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport launched an international tender to purchase 125 new electric buses. The 125 buses, which are all 12-metre models, will be included in the current programme to purchase 950 new buses with environmentally friendly technology by 2025.
Earlier this month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the Bus depot (OSY) in Athens, saying, “Already, 250 buses are operational, including 140 in Athens and 110 in Thessaloniki, with more to come.” Referring to the above-mentioned and already purchased Yutong buses, he then said that 900 new buses would be operating in Athens by the end of 2025.
What is not yet clear is where these buses have been ordered from, and whether they are purely electric or also produce some emissions with hybrid engines. Mitsotakis did emphasise, however, that the introduction of the new buses is financed through the European Recovery Fund, noting that this must reflect responsible resource management.
Since current public transport trolleybuses have been dependent on overhead lines it has been difficult for the public transport operator to change routes due to building sites or other blockages. The expectation is that the new electric buses will significantly improve the reliability of public transport services in Athens, with greater reliability and flexibility.
tovima.com, greekreporter.com
