Opened on 28 December 1938, the system gradually replaced the Winterthur tramway network.

In 1997, Stadtbus Winterthur sold a few trolleybuses to the Romanian city of Timișoara.

Other trolleybuses were sold in 1998 to the Bulgarian city of Ruse, and, a year later, to Burgas, also in Bulgaria.

In March 2004, an order for 10 articulated trolleybuses was placed with Solaris Bus & Coach.

By the end of 2005, all had entered service; they replaced the Saurer trolleybuses nos.