Keolis wins a new contract in France and will launch an e-BRT service in Thionville

Keolis wins a new bus contract in Thionville in France’s Grand Est Region with a focus on growing ridership. The public transport company will operate and maintain the Citéline public transport network. 

This public service delegation contract1 will come into effect on 1 April 2021 for a period of almost five years and is forecast to generate a total revenue of nearly €90 million. 

Keolis will take over the existing network and accompany the SMiTU (which is Thionville-Fensch urban public transport authority) in launching an electric bus rapid transit (BRT) service in 2026. Keolis says the group aims to grow commercial revenues by 12.6% by 2025.

The French public transport operator has recently taken over 55 e-buses in Bergen, Norway and 246 units in the Netherlands. Keolis is already operating a e-BRT network in Amiens and in the French Basque Country both with Irizar ie tram vehicles.

Keolis to renew Thionville public transport network

Through this new contract, Keolis will increase its operations in the Lorraine sector of the France’s Grand Est Region. In addition to the urban transport system in Thionville, Keolis operates networks in Nancy, Metz2 and Epinal.

The Citéline public transport network serves 190,000 inhabitants and 35 municipalities in Thionville, in eastern France, a strategic cross-border hub situated between Metz and Luxembourg. The network is structured around 70 lines, Keolis explains in a press note. To promote the new transport service to passengers, ’Bus info’ points will be set up in the different municipalities making up the urban area.

Frédéric Baverez, Keolis Group Executive Director France, commented: “We are honoured by the SMiTU’s confidence and are committed to supporting a new phase in the development of mobility in this region”. 

An electric BRT service in Thionville

What is interesting, before the end of the contract, Keolis will accompany SMiTU in launching the future fully electric Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service “Citézen” due in 2026. Keolis says the service will feature a new depot as well as a new maintenance centre which will house the entire network fleetto be built in Florange by 2025.