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The Cabinet approved funding on Thursday for 45 new Yutong trolleybuses, which will replace old vehicles in Yerevan’s public transport fleet. The bill approved during the Cabinet meeting pertains to a 30% pre-payment for the vehicles.
Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan commented, “We have already purchased 30 trolleybuses. With these 45 additional ones, through the government’s support, we will have upgraded our entire trolleybus fleet.”
The bidding process has been completed. The new vehicles are expected to be delivered to Armenia in the first quarter of 2026.
“I want to thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, since this was your initiative,” Avinyan added, addressing PM Nikol Pashinyan.
Pashinyan noted that the vehicles are being purchased because a study has shown that trolleybuses, and generally electric transport, can be highly effective for Yerevan.
“Especially now, when we have generated a huge capacity of photovoltaic stations, and the transport mostly operates during the day, trolleybuses are highly efficient. We have discussed the possibility of buying electric buses in the future, and it seems we have reached an understanding on this matter,” the PM said.
In recent years, the city of Yerevan has purchased 87 12-meter buses, 562 8.6-meter buses, and 30 trolleybuses.
“After purchasing these 45 vehicles, we will have only two main acquisitions left for our fleet: 249 18-meter buses to replace the old Higer buses, which are already 15-16 years old, and another 26 trolleybuses for the new network system,” Avinyan said.
He added that all the new vehicles to be acquired will be electric.
When asked to comment on the planned development of the new Ajapnyak metro station, Avinyan said that, technically, work could begin in 2026.
PM Pashinyan added that the development of the subway system is being discussed as part of the Academic City project.
Discussions are focused on the possibility of extending the subway system beyond the planned Ajapnyak station, linking it with Academic City, and then connecting it to the current Charbakh station to facilitate transportation.