RATP Group awarded Paris-Saclay municipal federation bus network contract

Pictured: A public RATP Group electric bus in operation in Paris.

French-based public transport operator RATP Group has announced that it has been entrusted with the operation of the Plateau de Saclay public transportation network – spanning the territory of the Paris-Saclay municipal federation – for the next six years. The bustling Plateau de Saclay bus network is used by nearly 300,000 residents for their daily trips.

Service offerings and usage of the Plateau de Saclay bus network expanded by nearly 20 per cent between 2016 and 2020 and is expected to continue growing over the next few years. RATP Group must support this vigorous growth while substantially improving on-time performance for the 44 regular and two demand-responsive bus lines.

“We are happy to support Île-de-France Mobilités and the Paris-Saclay municipal federation in the development of this area. The ongoing urbanisation of the Plateau de Saclay makes provision of public transport services a priority,” said Catherine Guillouard, President and Chief Executive Officer of RATP Group. “RATP Group must assist in optimal fulfilment of mobility needs across this territory and propose robust and innovative solutions before the 2026 arrival of Metro Line 18, part of the Grand Paris Express. The winning of this contract, through the commitment of RATP Dev teams, shows that Île-de-France Mobilités trusts RATP Group to effectively propose services and support the activity of the Île-de-France region,” she added.

Set to begin operation on 1 August 2022, RATP will operate 20 vehicles and a bus depot in Marcoussis, as well as build a second depot in Villebon. The contract also covers management and maintenance of 13.5km of the dedicated route linking Massy to the Plateau de Saclay via the Polytechnique district in Palaiseau.

In the Île-de-France region and around the world, RATP Group operates and maintains tens of thousands of kilometres of metro, bus and tramway lines, as well as urban and interurban rapid rail systems.