Keolis to operate and enhance Valenciennes multimodal transport network

Keolis has announced that it will operate and maintain the transport network serving the conurbations of Valenciennes Métropole and Porte du Hainaut in France, from 1 January 2023, meeting the needs of 350,000 people living across 82 municipalities.

Currently consisting of 42 lines, including two tram routes, the network has a fleet of 152 vehicles and 30 trams, providing services to the Valenciennes hospital, the Hainaut stadium, the thermal baths and the casino of Saint-Amand-les-Eaux. 

In 2023, the transport offer will be strengthened for suburban municipalities, with the introduction of a dynamic on-demand transport service almost in real-time (reservations up to 30 minutes before departure) and Transvilles Pro, an on-demand transport service dedicated to covering the zones of activity.

The transport offer will also significantly be expanded in 2024, with the launch of a new network that will in particular represent the addition of two key routes. It will ensure buses at 10-minute intervals at peak times all year round and at 15-minute intervals at other times of the day.

Keolis awarded renewal contract for Bordeaux public transport network

With the aim of providing a more digitalised transport service, the Intercommunal Syndicate of Mobility and Urban Organisation of Valenciennes (SIMOUV) and Keolis will carry out major developments over the course of the contract to make Transvilles one of the most modern networks in France. In order to achieve this, an open payment system will be rolled out from September to December 2023. This will enable passengers to pay and validate on-board, using the validators, with their contactless bank card. The M ticket payment solution, which works on smartphones, will be extended to the entire Transvilles fare range. In addition, a website and mobile app will be launched by summer 2023.

Supporting SIMOUV’s intentions to promote more sustainable mobility, Keolis will contribute to the introduction of vehicles that run on alternative energy, with a focus on BioNGV for the buses and electric for the downtown shuttles. The renewal of part of the fleet, about 30 buses and 10 shuttles, will begin in 2023 and will be carried out gradually throughout the contract.

In order to address the shortage of drivers and support the local economy, Keolis intends to recruit 44 drivers by 2023 for a total of 427 employees, including 246 drivers to ensure operation and maintenance of the network. These recruitments will complement the launch of a ‘Keolis Mobility Campus’ class in Autumn 2024. This apprenticeship training centre (CFA) is open to candidates aged between 20 and 29 who have held a B driving licence for two years and wish to become a bus and coach driver in one of the transport networks operated by Keolis in France.