Keolis has been awarded a five-year contract by Loudoun County, Va., to operate and maintain its bus network. The €83-million (US$99.98-million) contract will begin on April 1.
The 28-line network encompasses several cities including Ashburn, Sterling, Leesburg, Purcellville, Hamilton, Stone Ridge and South Riding. It connects residents to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Silver Line, Arlington bus network, MARC commuter trains, as well as the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), operated by Keolis.
Keolis will operate and maintain 117 buses, 64 commuter buses made by Motor Coach Industries (MCI) seating 55 passengers, 16, 40-foot Gillig-made buses and 37 Ford Cutaway buses for fixed route and paratransit services.
The services provided by Keolis are expected to carry 1.6 million passengers annually. Several factors contributed to Keolis being selected as top-ranked operator in Loudoun County’s competitive procurement process, including its expertise in enhancing maintenance processes and passenger experience across its global operations. Improvements to the passenger experience aimed at restoring ridership to pre-COVID-19 levels include better punctuality and stepped-up vehicle cleaning and disinfection.
Keolis will welcome some 120 new employees from the two existing operators ahead of the operational launch of the Loudoun County bus network on April 1. The handover between operators is underway with the aim of providing a smooth transition before the introduction of new measures to meet the evolving needs of passengers in the community.
“We are pleased to partner with Loudoun County and serve its communities through shared and equitable mobility. This new partnership underscores our localized growth and reputation as a trusted operator in Virginia. Loudoun County can be assured that we will combine our multimodal experience to provide reliable, safe and comfortable transport solutions to its residents and visitors, while enhancing the passenger experience,” said CEO International at Keolis Group Bernard Tabary.
