The absorption spectra of Polaron and Soliton excitations in trans-(CH)x have been characterized experimentally using the detailed quantitative studies of the near-ir-absorption during the electrochemical doping process. The quantitative agreement with the calculations of soliton mid-gap absorption is shown to be a direct evidence for the proposal that doping of trans-(CH)x predominantly proceeds through soliton formation. The intense δ-function transition between the two localized levels of a polaron is observed to give rise to a series of sharp (≤ 0.1 eV wide) additional absorptions which we have used to monitor polaron concentration during the doping process. Consistent with the metastability of polarons in trans-(CH)x, with a pair decaying into the lower energy soliton-antisoliton pair, polarons are found to be present only at very dilute doping levels