© VVT
© VVT
48
Antakalnis Trolleybus Depot
Authors
ARCHITECTS – USSR Industrial Transport Design Institute, Leningrad Branch, circa 1948–1950
About
In the early post-war decade, as Vilnius grew, the city needed a new, durable mode of transportation that could carry more passengers. In the duel between tram and trolleybus, it was the trolleybus that won – better suited to the narrow streets of the Old Town.The 1st Trolleybus Depot, established in the northern part of Antakalnis, remains to this day the most important trolleybus infrastructure hub in Vilnius. It houses a transport depot and repair workshops with the full technical capacity to carry out comprehensive trolleybus repairs – from manufacturing individual parts to painting entire bodies.
Amid the unassuming annexes built of silicate bricks, you can still find touches of humanizing industrial architecture: long facades are broken up by pilasters, while window sills, cornices, and modest angular pediments above doorways add a touch of expression and rhythm.
Visitors to the depot can get a glimpse into the daily life of trolleybus drivers, explore the preventive and scheduled maintenance bays, and learn how, over 60 years ago, automatic fare machines began to appear in Vilnius' public transport system – and why women are more likely than men to drive trolleybuses.
You’ll also encounter true legends of the city’s transport history: the oldest surviving Vilnius trolleybus, the Škoda 9Tr, and the articulated Škoda 15Tr with its accordion-like middle, which only recently ceased service on the streets of the capital.
Visiting information
Sat 10:00 (last – 19:00)
Sun 10:00 (last – 17:00)
Duration of the tour – 45 min.
Tours take place every 30 min.
Expected number of visitors: Average
Sun 10:00 (last – 17:00)
Duration of the tour – 45 min.
Tours take place every 30 min.
Expected number of visitors: Average
Address
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