The return of the trolleybus (by Hess) to La Chaux-de-Fonds

After an absence of 12 years, the trolleybus has returned to the Swiss town of La Chaux-de-Fonds, the watchmaking capital located in the canton of Neuchâtel. On 20 February 2026, the new service was inaugurated in the presence of Cédric Aubry, CEO of TransN (TN)—the operator of the Neuchâtel and La Chaux-de-Fonds networks—along with Mayor Théo Huguenin-Elie and Céline Vara, Councillor of State of the Canton of Neuchâtel.

The new trolleybuses, LighTram 19 DC, were built by Hess and are identical to the vehicles already operating in Neuchâtel. They are therefore equipped with battery packs that allow operation away from the overhead network.

Following the necessary restoration work on the overhead wires, the service has begun on line 302 (Charrière–Tourbillon, with some trips limited to Combe-à-l’Ours). The line operates Monday to Saturday from approximately 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with a journey time of 20–22 minutes. Two vehicles, LighTram units 163 and 164, are currently in service while awaiting the delivery of 12 additional vehicles, which will allow trolleybus operations to be extended to lines 301 and 304.

This marks a successful return. In 2011, the then-operator TRN unexpectedly announced the discontinuation of trolleybus services, replacing them with hybrid buses. The decision sparked strong public protests, but these were not enough to change TRN’s plans, supported in part by the higher costs associated with trolleybuses compared with electric buses.

The service was ultimately suspended in 2014, and the 12 trolleybuses in the fleet were sold. The vehicles dated from 1996 (five units) and 2005 (seven units); nine were 18-metre articulated vehicles and three were 12-metre buses. The overhead wiring was only partially dismantled, particularly in the area where the new bus terminal was built. The long-held hope of restoring trolleybus service finally materialized in 2021, when the Government of the Canton of Neuchâtel decided to reopen the trolleybus network. The order placed by TN in 2021 with Carrosserie Hess for 30 new vehicles included trolleybuses for both Neuchâtel and La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Today, La Chaux-de-Fonds once again benefits from a modern and flexible trolleybus system, which will further improve the already high-quality public transport service provided by TN.

By Stefano Alfano