Keolis Wins Lyon Metropolis Bus And Trolleybus Contract

Concession To Yield $290 Million Annually

Keolis has been awarded the contract to operate and maintain the bus and trolleybus services in the Lyon metropolitan region in France, following notification from SYTRAL Mobilités.

The contract, known as the concession contract or délégation de service public, will commence on January 1, 2025, and last six years.

Anticipated to yield $290 million/€269 million in annual revenue, this contract marks a substantial milestone for Keolis.

Under the subsidiary Keolis Bus Lyon, the company will oversee the operation of France’s largest open-to-tender bus network.

With a workforce of 3,000 employees and responsibility for managing 136 bus routes, including eight trolleybus lines, this contract underscores Keolis’s commitment to advancing the region’s energy transition efforts.

Marie-Ange Debon, CEO of Keolis Group, expressed pride in securing the contract and highlighted the trust placed in Keolis by SYTRAL Mobilité.

Debon stressed the quality of the bids submitted, the dedication of Keolis’s teams, and their deep-rooted regional expertise. She noted that the award acknowledges Keolis’s commitment to Lyon’s transportation network and sets the stage for continued collaboration with stakeholders to enhance passenger experiences.

Recruitment Strategy

Keolis Lyon’s recruitment strategy aims to bolster its workforce by hiring and training many drivers. With plans to recruit at least 1,500 drivers over the contract and train 500 individuals within the next three years, Keolis underscores its dedication to delivering exceptional service.

The company recognises the importance of creating favourable working conditions to attract and retain talent, particularly among younger hires. Initiatives such as personalised rosters and flexible shifts aim to improve employee satisfaction and foster a healthy work-life balance.

Furthermore, Keolis has pledged to prioritise diversity, inclusion, and gender balance within its workforce, setting ambitious targets for increasing female representation and hiring individuals from marginalised communities.

Keolis plans to introduce measures to facilitate intermodality and active mobility to enhance service quality, including accommodating bicycles on public buses in Lyon.

The company also commits to promptly notifying passengers of any service disruptions and ensuring an 80% reliability rate in adhering to timetables. Additionally, plans are underway to establish a ‘Users Reflex Lab’ to gain valuable insights into passenger expectations and deploy additional staff to improve on-the-ground assistance.

Keolis’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility is further underscored by its decision to operate as a mission-driven enterprise upon forming Keolis Bus Lyon. This status will provide a framework for advancing social, societal, and environmental objectives in close collaboration with regional stakeholders.

Notable targets include a 27% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, alongside efforts to minimise energy consumption, water use, and waste generation. Keolis aims to procure 80% of its supplies locally and pursue B-Corp certification by 2026, aligning with rigorous environmental, social, and governance standards.

In Dubai

Since September 9, 2021, Keolis has been operating and maintaining Dubai’s driverless metro network and also managing the Gulf emirate’s tram network following the award of a 15-year contract by Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority on January 31, 2021, marking a significant milestone in Dubai’s transportation landscape.

The joint venture, Keolis-MHI, led by Keolis and comprising Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (MHI) and Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), has been deeply involved in Dubai’s metro network construction and development since 2005.

With 1,850 employees recruited for this endeavour, primarily sourced from Serco, the previous operator, Keolis-MHI embarked on a smooth transition process over seven months.

According to Dubai RTA’s directives, the transition aimed to retain most of Serco’s experienced workforce and ensure continuity and expertise in operating and maintaining Dubai’s metro and tram networks.

Keolis deployed a dedicated transition team to facilitate this shift, drawing upon the group’s global expertise. Comprising 52 ground mobilisation staff and 35 experts in various domains such as operations, maintenance, human resources, marketing, and customer relations, this team ensured a seamless transition of assets and systems.

Featured image: The Keolis concession contract will commence on January 1, 2025, and last six years. Credit: Keolis