Solaris Delivers 5000th Bus From Bolechowo

Just 13 years after opening production, Solaris Bus & Coach has delivered the 5000th bus built in its Bolechowo factory. The jubilee bus is a Solaris Urbino 12 ordered by Transkom of Koziegłowy, Poland. Furthermore, the successful

Urbino family of low floor buses celebrates its 10th birthday.

In a ceremony at the Solaris factory in Bolechowo, Solaris founder Krzysztof Olszewski handed over the keys to the jubilee bus to Marian Szymański, managing director of Transkom, based in Koziegłowy near Poznań.

Transkom operates 13 buses on commuter services north-east of Poznań and has been a Solaris customer since 1999. The new bus brings the number of Bolechowo-built buses in the Transkom fleet up to ten.

Transkom managing director Marian Szymański said: "For me, the Solaris Urbino is the leading bus of its class. It is a great honour for us to have the 5000th Solaris bus in our fleet. We may only be a small operator, but we have always had a reliable partner in Solaris Bus & Coach and we are looking forward to further cooperation in the future."

Solaris founder Krzysztof Olszewski commented on the delivery of the 5000th bus: "Today’s event shows the remarkable development of our company over the last 13 years. When we started in 1996, we had 36 employees and produced 56 buses in our first year. Today, we have a workforce of 1600 and achieve an annual production of over 1000 buses. Our buses are operated in 20 countries - from Norway to the United Arab Emirates. The Solaris Urbino, which we first presented ten years ago, has established itself as one of the leading European low floor buses thanks to its winning combination of high quality, reliability and attractive design."

5000th bus from Solaris factory Bolechowo

The 5000th bus built in Solaris’s Bolechowo factory is a Solaris Urbino 12 low floor bus. With its stainless steel frame and modern specification, it combines highest standards of comfort with excellent durability. The jubilee bus is powered by a 183 kW (249 PS) DAF engine complying with Euro 5 emission levels. Power transmission is achieved by a Voith DIWA full automatic gearbox. 37 fixed seats and two tip-up seats offer a comfortable travelling experience to passengers while a full air-conditioning system ensures pleasant temperatures on the bus at all times. A CCTV monitoring system ensures passengers’ safety.

10 successful years: The Solaris Urbino celebrates its birthday

Along with the delivery of its 5000th bus, Solaris Bus & Coach celebrates the 10th birthday of its most successful bus, the Solaris Urbino. This modern low floor bus had its world premiere in May 1999. Ten years later, its friendly face is an integral part of cityscapes all over Europe.

Today, Solaris Urbino buses are operated in 20 countries. The product offer ranges from midibuses to standard length, 15-metre and articulated buses. Solaris Urbino buses are powered by diesel engines complying with the most demanding emission standards. CNG engines also are available. A hybrid version, the Solaris Urbino 18 Hybrid, was unveiled 2006 as the first European hybrid bus using volume-production technology and is now in revenue service in ten cities in four countries. The Solaris Trollino trolleybus, based on the versatile Urbino, offers public transport which is emission free at the point of operation.

The mascot of the Solaris Urbino - a green dachshund - has found a place in many a heart throughout Europe. "The green dachshund is long like a bus and it has short legs, reminiscent of the easy access of our low floor buses. Our buses are fuel-efficient like the dachshund’s small appetite. Its green colour stands for the green credentials of our buses and the dachshund’s legendary fidelity mirrors our loyalty towards our customers," explains Solange Olszewska, CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach.

Press Image Captions

Image 1: The 5000th Solaris bus was delivered to Transkom of Koziegłowy (Poland)
Image 2: Solaris founder Krzysztof Olszewski (right) hands over the 5000th Solaris bus to Transkom managing director Marian Szymański