66 out of 168 new trolleybuses purchased under a large-scale transport concession are idle in the Chelyabinsk depot. According to the Telegram channel Ural Mash, 102 vehicles remain on the lines, causing waiting intervals for transport on certain routes to reach 40 minutes during peak hours.
Ural Mash does not specify the model names in the publication, but the entire fleet supplied to the city consists of Sinara-6254 trolleybuses of local assembly, the delivery of which was completed in May 2026. The fleet includes two modifications: 98 units of Sinara-6254.00 with an extended autonomous range of up to 20 km and 70 units of Sinara-6254.01 with a basic (emergency) autonomous range.
According to sources from the Telegram channel, the main technical malfunctions are related to failures in the control electronics and autonomous drive systems, and warranty repairs are delayed for several months. The situation is exacerbated by a staff shortage: due to a lack of drivers, the operator still cannot fully launch 3 out of 10 routes provided for by the concession agreement.
Earlier, depot employees sent appeals to the prosecutor's office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs demanding an inspection of the technical condition of the equipment. The inspection examined the braking system of the rolling stock and found no violations preventing operation.
The manufacturer and operator "Sinara - GTR Chelyabinsk", as well as the Ministry of Road Management and Transport of the region, had not commented on the situation at the time of Ural Mash's publication. Official requests have been sent to clarify the timing of the equipment's return to service.