Keolis

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Keolis
Private
IndustryRail, road, public transport
Headquarters
Paris
Area served
France, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, India, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States
Key people
President & Group CEO: Jean-Pierre Farandou
CEO International: Bernard Tabary
ServicesBus, trolleybus, coach, metro, funicular, tramway, rental bikes, car sharing, parking, train, boat shuttle, cable car
Revenue€5.4 billion (2017)
Number of employees
63,000 (December 2017)
ParentSNCF (70%)
Quebec Deposit & Investment Fund (30%)
Websitewww.keolis.com

Keolis is a Franco-Québécois private operator of public transport. The company manages bus, metro, tramways and coach networks, rental bikes, car parks, boat shuttles, cable cars, trolleybuses and airport services.

Based in Paris, the company is 70%-owned by the SNCF (French National Railways Corporation) and 30%-owned by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.

Keolis operates a number of networks in France (Transports Bordeaux Métropole in Bordeaux, the Lyon public transport on behalf of SYTRAL, the public transport service for the Greater Rennes area since 1998, Transpole in Lille and the entire mobility chain in Dijon).

Internationally, it manages buses in Stockholm, commuter trains in Boston, the Las Vegas bus network, the Hyderabad automated metro, the Melbourne tramway, the Docklands Light Railway in London, the Pujiang Shanghai Metro, the Manchester Metrolink tramway, and the Wales & Borders rail network.

In 2017, the company generated revenues of €5.4 billion and had 63,000 employees. Keolis has been led by Jean-Pierre Farandou since 2012.[1]

History[edit]

Origins[edit]

Keolis was formed from several former companies:

  • Société des transports automobiles, which was created in 1908, and its subsidiary Société générale des transports départementaux
  • Lesexel, an electricity company created in 1911 to support the development of tramways
  • Société de transports routiers de voyageurs (STRV), a subsidiary of SCETE and later SNCF, which was renamed Cariane in 1988 during its merger with STV

These companies underwent a series of reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, which resulted in two companies: VIA-GTA, focused primarily on urban transport, and Cariane, specialized in interurban public transport.

Creation and development of Keolis in the 2000s[edit]

In 1999, SNCF became the leading shareholder in VIA-GTI, which merged with Cariane in 2001 to become Keolis. In 2005, through its stake in GoVia, Keolis became co-owner of the Southeastern rail franchise in the United Kingdom. In 2006, Keolis won the franchise for Hellweg Net in Germany. In 2007, Keolis acquired City-Trafic in Denmark. In 2008, Keolis took control of Eurobus Holding in Belgium. In 2009, Keolis set up operations in Melbourne, Washington, D.C., Bergen and Bordeaux. In 2010, EFFIA (car parks company) became a Keolis subsidiary.

Since 2010[edit]

In 2012, Keolis acquired 100% of Syntus in the Netherlands and Orléans Express in Canada; the company also set up operations in Hyderabad, India. In 2013, Keolis won part of the Las Vegas urban network. In 2014, Keolis won a 30-year public-private partnership contract to maintain and operate a 19-km light rail transport line in Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge in Ontario.

In the same year, Keolis won the operations and maintenance contract for Metrolink, the United Kingdom's largest tramway network, in Manchester[2], and was also selected by FootHill Transit to operate and maintain the Los Angeles Country bus network.[3]

The company also expands in Asia, starting operation of Hyderabad's automatic air metro network, and winning, as part of a joint venture with RATP Dev and the Qatar Hamad Group, the contract to operate and maintain Qatar's first public transport network, including the operation of the future automatic metro in Doha and the tramway network in the new city of Lusail.[4]

In 2018, Keolis started operating the Pujiang metro line (formerly known as 8.3), the first automatic metro line in the Shanghai network[5], and a contract to operate the Wales & Borders rail network in Wales.[6]

Operations[edit]

Keolis Downer trams at Flinders Street station in February 2013

Australia[edit]

Main article: Keolis Downer

Keolis holds a 51% shareholding in Keolis Downer, which has operated the Melbourne tram network since November 2009.[7][8] Keolis Downer has operated the G:link light rail line on the Gold Coast since July 2014.[9]

In March 2015, Keolis Downer purchased bus operator Australian Transit Enterprises, which operates the Hornibrook Bus Lines, LinkSA, Path Transit and SouthLink operations with 930 buses.[10] In July 2017, Keolis Downer trading as Newcastle Transport took over the Newcastle Buses & Ferries business under a 10-year contract.[11][12] Newcastle Transport also operates the Newcastle Light Rail since February 2019.

Canada[edit]

Keolis Canada operates as a subsidiary of Keolis America; the majority of its Canadian operations are located in Montreal, where it operates the Quebec intercity bus company Orléans Express and part of the Exo Mascouche sector.

From 2004 to 2012 it also operated Acadian Lines intercity buses in The Maritimes; the latter services have since been taken over by independent operator Maritime Bus.

Keolis is a partner in the GrandLinq consortium and will operate the Ion rapid transit system in Waterloo Region, Ontario.

China[edit]

In China, Keolis and Shanghai Shentong Metro Group, the owner of Shanghai Metro, created a joint venture called Shanghai Keolis in March 2014.[13] Shanghai Keolis started operating the Pujiang line (formerly Phase 3 of Shanghai Metro Line 8 ) in March 2018,[14] it would also be operating Shanghai Pudong International Airport's people mover system in 2019, which will link the proposed satellite concourse building with the existing Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. as well as the Songjiang tram network within the Songjiang Region, a suburb west of Shanghai downtown, in 2020.

An agreement had been signed between Keolis and Hubei Government, and Keolis will be responsible for Greater Wuhan area's suburban railway operation.[15]

Denmark[edit]

Keolis Danmark is the second biggest bus operator in Denmark with 500 buses and 1.500 employees, Keolis entered the Danish market in 1999 when they bought 49% of the Danish bus operator City-Trafik[16] in 2007 City-Trafik became a wholly owned subsidiary of Keolis,[17] in 2014 City-Trafik surprised the Danish bus industry when they announced their plans to merger with Nettbuss Danish subsidiary in a joint venture[18] where Keolis owned 75% and Nettbuss 25%, until the merger was accepted by the Danish authorities the former City-Trafik was named Keolis Bus Danmark and the former Nettbuss Danmark was named Keolis Danmark the Danish authorities accepted the merger in late 2014 and in 2015 both the companies were merged into Keolis Danmark. It was also in 2015 that Keolis won the contract on operating the first tram in Denmark in Aarhus set to open in 2017. In 2016 Keolis SA bought the last 25% of the shares from Nettbuss AS making Keolis Danmark 100% Keolis owned[19]

France[edit]

Keolis has extensive operations in France, it provides transit services in many cities including Bordeaux, Brest, Dijon, Lille, Lyon, Orléans, and Rennes. In January 2016, the 260 vehicle Transports Daniel Myers business was purchased. Based in the Essonne/Val-de-Marne basin, its main operations are in Montlhéry, Etampes and Avrainville.[20]

Germany[edit]

Eurobahn Stadler Flirt Class 428 in Westönnen, 2009

Under the brand name Eurobahn, Keolis is operating multiple regional train services in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and in the Netherlands, they also operated, and will do so again in a few years, in Lower Saxony. Eurobahn uses Stadler FLIRT electric multiple units and Bombardier Talent diesel cars to serve these lines.

Maas-Rhein-Lippe-Netz December 2009 to December 2025:

Hellweg-Netz December 2008 to December 2018:

OWL-Dieselnetz December 2013 to December 2025:

Teutoburger Wald-Netz December 2017 to December 2032:

Future services[edit]

S-Bahn Rhein-Ruhr December 2019 to December 2034:

For these services, Eurobahn will be leasing DBAG Class 422 trains from Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr; the trains will be running in a neutral VRR design.

Former services[edit]

India[edit]

Main article: Hyderabad Metro Rail

In 2012 Keolis won the Operation and Maintenance contract of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project;[21] this marks Keolis's foray into the Indian Market. The "Hyderabad Metro rail project" is valued at 220 billion and is forecasted to be commissioned by 2017, its first Indian employee is Mr. Sudeep Kumar, a mechanical graduate from MIT.

Keolis hyderabad along with L&T had started metro rail operations from 27 november 2017.

The Netherlands[edit]

Main article: Keolis Nederland
Stadler Flirt EMU at Almelo de Riet station

Keolis's subsidiary in Netherlands is Keolis Nederland, originally named Syntus.

In 1999, Keolis commenced operations in The Netherlands through a 33% shareholding in Syntus.[22] In 2007 this was increased to 50%.[23] In 2012, Keolis purchased Nederlandse Spoorwegen's 50% share to give it 100%;[24][25] the Syntus brand was retired in October 2017 and replaced by the Keolis Nederland brand.[26][27][28]

Norway[edit]

Main article: Keolis Norge

Keolis's subsidiary in Norway is Keolis Norge, it was first formed in 2008 as Fjord1 Partner, a joint venture between Fjord1 Nordvestlandske (49%) and Keolis Nordic (51%). It has been fully owned by Keolis since 2014.

United Kingdom[edit]

Southern Class 377 at Battersea Park in June 2010

In the United Kingdom, Keolis owns 35% of Govia that currently operates the Govia Thameslink Railway and Southeastern franchises and previously operated Thameslink and London Midland.[29][30][31] Keolis also had a 45% shareholding in First TransPennine Express from February 2004 until March 2016. Upon being re-tendered, FirstGroup took full control.[32]

In 2012, Keolis lodged a joint bid with SNCF for the aborted InterCity West Coast franchise[33] and in 2014, in partnership with Eurostar, lodged a bid for the InterCity East Coast franchise.[34][35]

Keolis is part of a consortium that commenced operating the Nottingham Express Transit tram operation in December 2011.[36] Keolis in partnership with Amey operates the Docklands Light Railway and Manchester Metrolink concessions.[37][38] On 14 October 2018, KeolisAmey Wales commenced operating the Wales & Borders franchise.[39]

United States[edit]

Keolis America is based in Boston, Massachusetts, it does business under the moniker Keolis North America because it operates public transportation contracts in both the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., Keolis subsidiaries operate commuter rail systems in Virginia and Massachusetts, as well as fixed-route and shuttle bus systems in several states. In Nevada, Keolis provides bus service for the Las Vegas strip through a contract with the Regional Transportation Commission.

On 16 October 2009, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Operations Board approved an $85 million contract with Keolis Rail Services America to operate and maintain VRE trains for five years.[40] Keolis began operating VRE on 12 July 2010 after a two-week delay, ending Amtrak's 18-year tenure as operator.[41] Both Amtrak and Keolis had staffed the VRE lines with about 80 employees.[40][41] However, during the bidding, a group of Holocaust survivors and Maryland politician Heather Mizeur called for investigations into SNCF's role in transportation of Nazi prisoners to concentration camps during World War II before the Keolis contracts could move forward;[42] the operator of the train line, Amtrak, also challenged the propriety of hiring a foreign company.[41]

Keolis has also bid to run some California commuter rail segments and two MARC lines in Maryland, even though with the latter, the company is running into similar issues with the VRE bidding. Another group of Holocaust survivors, led by now-deceased Leo Bretholz also requested investigations of SNCF's involvement in the war;[43] as a result, a law was passed to enforce this, leading to major criticism because SNCF had already documented their role in the deportation and had in fact released their archives for research and educational purposes in 1996.[44] Eventually however, Keolis would lose to Canadian company Bombardier Transportation.[45]

On 29 November 2011, Keolis Transit America, Keolis' US subsidiary, announced the acquisition of Tectrans Inc., a California-based privately held provider of contract transportation services. Tectrans holdings included in the acquisition included Mobility Plus Transportation, Western Transit Systems, and Diversified Transportation.[46] Keolis bus operations in the United States include Foothill Transit, Tri-Rail Commuter Connectors, and RTC.

In August 2012, Keolis Commuter Services was one of two companies, Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR) and Keolis Commuter Services (KCS),[47] to bid on a commuter rail contract for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston, Massachusetts; the contract was to operate 664 miles of passenger service.[48][49] On 8 January 2014 it was released by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority that Keolis had won the contract for $2.68 billion over eight years, with the possibility for two two-year extensions that could bring the total price to $4.3 billion. Keolis began operating the MBTA Commuter Rail on 1 July 2014.[50]

Corporate responsibility and strategy[edit]

Strategy and innovation[edit]

Keolis is developing its business by expanding into new markets (through public calls for tenders in France and worldwide) and launching innovative initiatives in mobility.

Autonomous shuttles and automated metro systems[edit]

The company's main innovations in public transport operations are driverless shuttles and automated metro systems:

  • Public transport services by self-driving shuttle (through a partnership with Navya, a French manufacturer of self-driving shuttles), which started in September 2016 in Lyon. Keolis currently runs self-driving shuttle services in France and worldwide, particularly in La Défense and Las Vegas.[51]
  • Automated metro systems in Shanghai[52] and Hyderabad.[53]

Digital services[edit]

Keolis offers trip planning, booking and payment services:

  • The launch in 2015 of the Plan Book Ticket digital app, which combines “plan” features to organize trips, “book” features to reserve them and “ticket” features to obtain and validate a ticket directly using a smartphone[54]
  • The Launch in 2018 of an open payment solution on the Dijon transport network (bank cards can now be used as tickets)[55]
  • The introduction of the HelloGo app, which enables passengers to plan, reserve and purchase their tickets for all modes of transport in Utrecht[56]

Corporate responsibility[edit]

Electromobility and alternative energies[edit]

Keolis uses electromobility and alternative energies on several of its networks:

Transport for passengers with reduced mobility[edit]

Keolis operates transport services for passengers with reduced mobility, such as PAM75 in Paris and PAM94 in the Val-de-Marne department of France.

Key figures[edit]

Financial data[edit]

Keolis generated revenues of €5.4 billion in 2017. Net profits (group share) amounted to €51 million.

Business data[edit]

Keolis transports 3 billion passengers annually. International business represents 45% of the company's revenues

HR data[edit]

In 2017, the company had 63,000 employees in France and worldwide.

References[edit]

  1. ^ SNCF Mobilités Management Report, 31 December 2017
  2. ^ Joint venture to operate Greater Manchester’s Metrolink, 18 January 2017
  3. ^ Keolis Awarded Contract to Provide Operations for Foothill Transit-Pomona, 27 April 2017
  4. ^ (French) RATP et Keolis sur la voie d'un mégacontrat de plus de 3 milliards au Qatar, 28 November 2017
  5. ^ Keolis runs first fully-automated metro line in Shanghai, 3 April 2018
  6. ^ Wales' rail and Metro franchise to be run by KeolisAmey, 23 May 2018
  7. ^ Melbourne tram and train operators selected Railway Gazette International 25 June 2009
  8. ^ New train, tram operators for Melbourne The Age 25 June 2009
  9. ^ GoldlinQ selected to build Gold Coast light rail Railway Gazette International 6 May 2011
  10. ^ Operator ATE Sold Australasian Bus & Coach 11 March 2015
  11. ^ Keolis Downer awarded contract to run light rail, buses and ferries says Baird government Newcastle Herald 12 December 2016
  12. ^ Keolis Downer awarded Newcastle Transport Contract Keolis Downer 12 December 2016
  13. ^ "Keolis et le métro de Shanghai concrétisent leur alliance au sein de " Shanghai Keolis Public Transport "" (in French). Médias. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  14. ^ "Shanghai Keolis Runs First Fully Automated Metro Line in Shanghai". Mass Transit Magazine. 3 April 2018. Archived from the original on 9 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  15. ^ "Keolis signe un accord avec la Province chinoise du Hubei sur les trains de banlieue de Wuhan" (in French). Médias. Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  16. ^ http://myldretid.dk/nyheder/nr/42
  17. ^ http://myldretid.dk/nyheder/nr/450
  18. ^ http://www.keolis.dk/aktuelt/artikel/fusion-city-trafik-og-nettbuss-vil-skabe-danmarks-staerkeste-busselskab-1411/
  19. ^ https://datacvr.virk.dk/data/visenhed?enhedstype=virksomhed&id=13399433&soeg=Keolis+Danmark&type=Alle
  20. ^ Keolis acquires Transport Daniel Myers Bus & Coach Buyer 22 January 2016
  21. ^ L&T selects Keolis as O&M contractor for Hyderabad Metro Rail System
  22. ^ Voith wins Syntus train maintenance contract Railway Gazette International 1 September 2009
  23. ^ Annual report for year ended 31 December 2007 Connexxion
  24. ^ Keolis buys NS stake in Syntus Railway Gazette International 6 August 2012
  25. ^ Keolis completes Syntus takeover International Railway Journal 6 August 2012
  26. ^ Stadler EMUs enter service with Dutch operators International Railway Journal 14 December 2016
  27. ^ "Wie zijn we (Who are we)" (in Dutch). Keolis Nederland. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  28. ^ "Naam Syntus definitief vervangen door Keolis Nederland" (in Dutch). OV PRO. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  29. ^ About Us Govia
  30. ^ Govia chosen for new Thameslink contract Railnews 23 May 2014
  31. ^ Govia wins TSGN franchise, beating FirstGroup Rail Technology 23 May 2014
  32. ^ Who we are First TransPennine Express
  33. ^ Shortlisted Bidders for Greater Anglia and Intercity West Coast Rail Franchises Department for Transport 24 March 2011 Archived 6 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ^ East Coast rail shortlist revealed BBC News 17 January 2014
  35. ^ InterCity East Coast franchise shortlist announced Railway Gazette International 17 January 2014
  36. ^ Consortium Members – Keolis Tramlink Nottingham
  37. ^ French firm wins 7-year Docklands Light Rail franchise BBC News 4 July 2014
  38. ^ Southern Rail operator to take over running of Metrolink Manchester Evening News 18 January 2017
  39. ^ "Contrat historique pour Keolis". SNCF (in French). Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  40. ^ a b Buske, Jennifer (6 November 2009). "VRE plan to oust Amtrak up for vote". The Washington Post.
  41. ^ a b c Buske, Jennifer (10 July 2010). "Amtrak ends role as VRE operator; Keolis to start Monday". The Washington Post.
  42. ^ Shaver, Katherine (7 July 2010). "Holocaust group faults VRE contract". The Washington Post. ISSN 0740-5421.
  43. ^ Holocaust Survivor: Don't Let Train Co. Operate MARC Rails[permanent dead link]
  44. ^ Lind, Michael (5 June 2011). The Washington Post. No way to run a railroad".
  45. ^ Shaver, Katherine (17 October 2012). "New company to operate some MARC trains". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  46. ^ Keolis Transit America (29 November 2011). "Keolis expands into the transit market in the United States" Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Keolis Press Release.
  47. ^ Technically, KCS is a joint venture between Keolis Rail Services America and the SNCF, the French National Railway.
  48. ^ Metzger, Andy, "State House News – Only two companies vie for commuter rail contract", State House News Service, 6 August 2012
  49. ^ "Two transit giants seek MBTA commuter rail deal", Gloucester Daily Times, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 17 September 2012
  50. ^ Powers, Martine (8 January 2014). "French firm Keolis wins commuter rail contract – Massachusetts news". Boston Globe. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  51. ^ (French) Keolis et Valeo misent sur la navette autonome : Navya lève 30 millions d’euros, 11 October 2016
  52. ^ Keolis to operate Shanghai Airport’s automated metro, 24 October 2017
  53. ^ Keolis opens a new section of the Hyderabad automated metro, 24 September 2018
  54. ^ Keolis launches ‘all-in-one’ digital app to plan travel, book, and validate tickets, 6 June 2017
  55. ^ A first in France: the contactless payment card becomes a ticket in Dijon’s trams, 27 March 2018
  56. ^ Keolis deploys HelloGo app to combine all modes of transport in the Netherlands, 1 November 2017

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 48°52′15″N 2°19′41″E / 48.87083°N 2.32806°E / 48.87083; 2.32806

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