Trolleybuses in Quito

[1] It is managed by an agency of the municipality known as Empresa Metropolitana de Servicios y Administración del Transporte (EMSAT) and is operated by Compañía Trolebús Quito, S.A.

The trolleybus system is composed of a single 18.7 km (11.6 mi) line that runs, with a few exceptions, through the part of Ecuador Highway 35 (E 35) that is within Quito.

The initial 11.2 km (7.0 mi) line opened in three stages between 17 December 1995 and 21 April 1996,[2] and connected the La "Y" district, in northern Quito and near Mariscal Sucre International Airport, to the El Recreo shopping mall (Centro Comercial El Recreo), in southern Quito, via the city center.

Service is provided by a fleet of 113 articulated trolleybuses, built by Hispano Carrocera and Mercedes-Benz, with electrical equipment by Kiepe Elektrik and AEG/Adtranz.

In addition to the traffic separation and signal priority, other features of El Trole intended to facilitate fast service—and making the operation similar to many light rail lines—include the arrangements at stops: The scheduled service frequency is very high at most times, over most of the line, with the headways/intervals being as short as 60 seconds during peak periods.

A trolleybus stopped at the Estadio station, in the trolleybus-only lanes in of Avenida 10 de Agosto
Quito's trolleybus running on exclusive BRT lanes with underpass crossings
A trolleybus stopped at one of the high-platform stations typical of the line
Detail view of the ends of the trolley poles and trolley-heads on the catenary or overhead lines
Typical stop station with displaced layout