Essen dual-mode-bus eastbound.

A 'dual-mode-bus' (duobus) travels through part of the light rail underground / subway system.

This video sequence is based on duobuses travelling eastbound, and is a mix of (hand held) views taken out of the front & side windows and of passing vehicles as seen from the footpath.

Most of the video was taken in 1990 and the cutaway views include both winter and summer sequences, plus duobuses in different liveries.

Once at the eastern extremity of the tunnel section (a bus / tram stop named Volkshochschule) there are also views showing how buses on route 145 use this location to switch between diesel and electric trolleybus modes (a fully automated process which takes barely a minute) whilst duobuses on route 147 remain as trolleybuses.


More information on Essen's 'dual-mode-bus' demonstration project and the OBahn / kerb guided busway in general can be found here:
http://citytransport.info/OBahn.htm

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• bus
• duobus
• essen
• germany
• spurbus
• obahn
• trolleybus
• trakless
• BRT
• tram
• tramway
• streetcar
• subway
• underground
• obus
• filobus

[dimos47ki7]

trying to stay in path seems very stressfull for the drivers...it feels like driving a drain with a steering wheel on the rails!!!

[citytransportinfo]

@dimos47ki7 why should 'staying in path' be stressful? bus steers itself automatically. The driver only controls the speed.

Simon

[titandog86]

das was hier praktiziert wurde, ist einzigartig... spurgeführte duo o-busse... das video müsste 16 jahre alt sein. nach meinem wissen ist der letzte o-bus in essen 1991 gerollt...

[citytransportinfo]

yes, this is the 1990's, and now the duobuses are in Russia.

and there is no more OBus in Essen. :-(

Simon

[Butchuk2007]

Great video...

I wish we had politicians with enough guts to implement this kind of transport system in the UK.

[citytransportinfo]

that makes 2 of us!

I know other people who would agree as well.

Simon

[VT741]

I came from Essen... i miss this busses :'-(

[jarl44]

I am a new york city bus operator . And I am amazed by what I've seen here

[eyestoenvy]

@jarl44

I agree.. we seem to lack everything, or simply move in the wrong direction... just look at what we did to our street/trolley cars... Philly is the last hope here on the NE coast (they have LRV/trolley cars, trolley buses, subways, elevated, articulated buses, and regional rail - all in service)

[aipbro]

@citytransportinfo i agree

[TTC8111]

@citytransportinfo really? i can't believe north america doesn't have duobuses or just simple trolley buses. insted they have to have diesel-electric buses that they call "hybrids", which is not what diesel electric is. and get this: they don't know what a real bus rapid transit system looks like in most major cities!

[vartal]

Это что вообще за такой автобус-троллейбус-трамвай ещё? Додумались же...

[vladimir2366fa]

Thanks you, Videos very nice,

[CarlAllenPL]

@donh6 Fine but, how about giuding wheels or other devices which may be made of metal?

[donh6]

@CarlAllenPL ground to what?Vehicles on the road have rubber tires ,there is no way to make a ground.

[dimos47ki7]

@citytransportinfo oh, i thought the driver has to do the steering in the tunnels.

so then it just operates like a normal train...good idea