National Bus Trader The Magazine of Bus Equipment for the United States and Canada Volume XLIV, No. 1 December, 2020 Serving the bus industry since 1977. Visit us at www.busmag.com. Keolis Moves People by Larry Plachno Photos courtesy of Keolis unless otherwise indicated Keolis is an international company that manages and operates transportation systems of all types. In addition to rail and bus, the company is also involved with a variety of other transportation modes including coaches, trolley buses, river shuttles and cable cars. This scenic photo shows the RRTTC Ride service in Reno, Nevada. n common with several previous arti- subsidiaries, otthher companies were acqquuired and a few neighboring countries. It is prob- cles, this one originated with questions or merged and reorganized. This led to the ably best known for its high-speed TGV to our “Curious Coachowner” column. creation of two companies: Cariane that con- trains that operate on several routes. My Presumably due to increasing contracts centrated on interurban service and VIA- wife Nancy and I have ridden on a number Iand operations in North America, readers GTA that concentrated on city service. of them and have been impressed with the have been asking about Keolis. Since it was fast and comfortable service. The newer not possible to adequately respond in one SNCF became the leading shareholder in cars are double deck and have a refresh- or two paragraphs, we did the research for VIA-GTI in 1999 and then merged this with ment bar in each trainset. SNCF also has this article. Cariane in 2001 to create Keolis. Since some- a 70 percent holding in Thalys Interna- one will ask, we can say that research so far tional that runs international trains and 55 A simple answer is that Keolis is an inter- has not turned up the origin or meaning of percent of Eurostar International that oper- national company headquartered in Paris, the Keolis name. By 2005 the company was ates rail service through the Channel TTuun- France that manages and runs transportation already active with a rail franchise in the nel to England. systems. While tthhey own some systems, tthhey United Kingdom. In the following years, also operate and manage operations ffoor gov- Keolis took control or began managing bus The National Assembly of Québec cre- ernment and private companies. This can and rail companies around the world. ated Caisse in 1965 to manage the funds of include virtually all aspects of the operation the Québec Pension Plan. It is basically a including labor negotiations and coordina- Keolis is owned (70 percent) by SNCF pension plan management and investment tion with planning agencies. (Société national des chemins de fer operation and has subsequently been français), tthhe French National Railway Com- entrusted with other pension and insurance The company can trace its roots back pany and (30 percent) by Caisse de dépôt et ffuunds. It has investments all over the world more than a century to earlier companies. placement du Québec (Quebec Deposit and including Keolis. What was probably the first was organized Investment Fund). in 1908 as the Société des transports auto- TToodayy,, Keolis operates public transport mobiles. Another was founded in 1911; an SNCF is a major European rail operator networks for 300 transport authorities in 16 electric compannyy named Lesexel tthhat helped owned by France. It has a staff of about countries on four continents. The compannyy’s to develop tramways. In addition to creating 260,000 and operates throughout France operations include 10 modes of transporta- NNaatiioonal Bus TTrrader / Decemberr,, 200220 •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email protected]> HH76 3G@?CA ACE<GHH*/) 4 3G@?CA H@;GBFDGA HHBFC? 0BFE<=CAGA At the cutting edge of technology is the Keolis operation in Pau, France. It includes a six-kilometer Bus Rapid TTrransit (BRRTT) line serving 14 stations. The buses are 18-meter articulated tram buses CEHHD=G 34 ((+ !4 using hydrogen-electric power systems. #EHH#E>CF5 3G@?CA HHH=FA D=G @;GBFDC@EA HFE> 9FCEDGEFE<GHHHH<@EDBF<D 0@B D=G 6>GBF7F> @1GBHHHHH(:ADBF?CFE ''BBFEACD EDGB;BCAGA .CD= CDA CEHH+@BD= (9GBC<F HCE<?:>G HHH?@<F? FE> G$;BGAA "GDB@HHFC? 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email protected]= ;:7?C< HDBFEA;@BDFDC@E4 HH#E +@BD= @FAD4HHHHHH"FB<= @0 */) AF. 3G@?CA %@.GB HDF&G ))HH9C??C@E ;FAAGE8GBA HHH;GB 6GFB4 ;GBFDC@EA (9GBC<F5HHHHHHH3G@?CA @00GB F .C>G BFE8G @0 AGB2 1C<GAHCE<?:>CE8 While its roots go back as far as 1908, Keolis is a modern company operating the newest rail and -,HF0G @E2B@F> H@;GBFDC@EA HHFE> 9@ECD@B2 bus equipment in many areas. The major owner of Keolis is SNCFF,, the French National Railways. +'4 CE8 Shown here are two SNCF trains at Garde du Nord station in Paris. -,HE2DC9G ;GB0@B9FE<G -,H%FC?6 DBFEACD H@;GBFDC@EA -,H:E <:DDCE8 HHFE> A<=G>:?CE8 -,HFBG 9G>CF H9FEF8G9GED -,H3G6 ;GB0@B9FE<G HCE>C<FD@B HBG;@BDCE8 -,HHH+FDC@EF? 'BFEACD %FDF7FAG +'% BG;@BDCE8HHFE> F:>CDCE8 -,H!CF7C?CDD66 9@ECD@BCE8 HHFE> 9FEF8G9GED -,HGBA@EEG? >G1G?@;9GED -,H!F7@B EG8@DCFDC@E HHFE> =FB9@E6 -,HF<C?CDCGA 9FEF8G9GED -,H?GGD 9FEF8G9GED -,H?GGD 9FCEDGEFE<G -,HHHH(?DGBEFDC1G 0:G? @;GBFDC@EA FE> 9FE2 F8G9GED -,HHH @@B>CEFDC@E .CD= "GDB@;@?CDFE FE> G8C@EF?HHDBFEA;@BDFDC@E ;?FEECE8 F8GE<CGA #EHH*/)*5 3G@?CA HF<:CBG> HB? FEA $;BGAAHHCE FEF>F HFE> HA:7AG:GED?6 G$;FE>G>HHHHH@;GBFDC@EA FA 3G@?CA FEF>F5 F A:7AC>CFB6HH@0 3G@?CA H(9GBC<F4 H"@AD HH@0 CDA @;GBFDC@EAHHFBG ?@<FDG> HHCE "@EDBGF? CHHHHHHE<?:>CE8 D=G $@ "FA<@:<=G AG<D@B4 '=G 14 • Nattiional Bus TTrrraader / Decemberr,, 200220 company provides intercityy,, charterr,, air- Keolis has numerous operations in the Foothill TTrransit is known for their pioneering port, urban, school and paratransit ser- United States. In California, it operates para- electric bus operations using the Proterra vices with a fleet of 392 vehicles including transit service in VVaan Nuys, Lancaster and buses. 62 coaches. Keolis is the second largest Fresno. Noteworthy is that Keolis operates intercity o perator in Canada. Keolis also local and express routes for Foothill Transit In Nevada, Keolis operates fixed route is a partner in the operations of the Ion in Southern California with a fleet of 139 local and express transit routes in Las VVeegas rapid transit s ystem in the Waterloo vehicles including 14 Proterra electric buses. for the Regional TTrransportation Commission Region of Ontario.