PRESS RELEASE
Paris, 12 December 2016
Keolis Downer awarded the first multimodal transport contract in Newcastle, Australia
Keolis’ Australian subsidiary, Keolis Downer, has been awarded a 10 year contract to operate and maintain a new integrated public transport system in Newcastle. The contract will generate total revenue of around €312 million (AU$450 million) and will start in July 2017. This is the first multimodal contract to be tendered to the private sector in Australia and includes operations and maintenance for buses, ferries and a new light rail system. Through this new contract Keolis strengthens its presence in Australia and its position as a leading multimodal operator.
Keolis Downer today welcomes the New South Wales (NSW) Government’s announcement that it has been awarded a 10 year contract with Transport for NSW to operate an integrated public transport system for the city of Newcastle, located north of Sydney (360,000 inhabitants).
A first in Australia
Newcastle Transport is the first multimodal transport system to be contracted to a private operator in Australia and integrates network planning and design, with the operation and maintenance of the city’s buses, ferries, future light rail (in 2019) and interchange.
This integrated transport solution will deliver better services for residents and visitors and will play an important role in the revitalisation of the city. Keolis Downer will use its unique expertise in network design to build a transport offer that meets the local community’s needs. This will encourage people to use public transport, connect them to business areas and reduce the use of individual cars.
“We are delighted that the NSW Government has chosen us to operate and maintain Newcastle’s multimodal transport network and we look forward to partnering with Transport for New South Wales to make Newcastle an even greater place to live and work”, comments Bernard Tabary, CEO International, Keolis.
Keolis strengthens its presence in Australia
Keolis is present in Australia through a joint venture with Downer, a leading provider of engineering, transport and infrastructure services in Australia and New Zealand. Keolis Downer is the largest light rail operator in the country, operating and maintaining Yarra Trams in Melbourne (250 km of tracks) and G:link on the Gold
Coast. Keolis Downer is also one of Australia’s leading bus operators with services in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. The company’s operations today have more than 210 million passenger trips per year.
Through this new contract, Keolis extends its footprint in New South Wales and is now present in five Australian States.
Keolis is one of the world’s leading public transport operators. The company is majority owned (70%) by the French state railway SNCF, the other shareholder being Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ). Present in 16 countries* with 56,000 employees, Keolis develops tailored mobility solutions (automatic metros, tramways, trains, buses, coaches, ferries, self-service bicycles) adapted to local environments. The Group offers solutions and services via its subsidiary, Kisio. It is also the second leading car park operator in France thanks to its subsidiary EFFIA. In 2015, Keolis transported 3 billion passengers and generated 5 billion euros in revenue.
*Originally established in France, Keolis has expanded its operations to Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, India, Middle East, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, UK and USA.
CONTACT
Ségolène Deeley International Communications +33 1 71 32 93 52 / +33 6 14 48 07 18 [email protected] www.keolis.com