Keolis is Awarded its First Tram Contract in China

Aug. 27, 2018
Keolis, through its Chinese joint-venture Shanghai Keolis, has been awarded its first tram contract in China by Songjiang Tramway.

Keolis, through its Chinese joint-venture Shanghai Keolis, has been awarded its first tram contract in China by Songjiang Tramway. The five-year contract covers the operations and maintenance of the tram network in the Songjiang District of Shanghai.

The network, which connects to Shanghai’s existing metro Line 9, will open in two phases: the first one on December 25, 2018, and the second in mid-2019.

Keolis, which recently opened the first automated driverless metro line in Shanghai and won the contract to operate the automated metro at Shanghai International Airport, reinforces its presence in China and enhances its reputation as a pioneer and world leader in multimodal expertise.

“The Songjiang Tram project is another important milestone for Shanghai Keolis in this enduring partnership between Keolis Group and Shanghai Shentong Metro Group to better address and support growing urban mobility needs in China,” said Bernard Tabary, international CEO at Keolis.

The first tram contract for Keolis in China

Keolis’ Chinese joint venture, Shanghai Keolis1 was awarded on August 6, 2018, a five-year contract to operate and maintain the first tram network in the Songjiang District, located in the south-west of Shanghai. This new network covers two lines (T1 and T2) with 46 stations, for a total length of 31 kilometers. It will facilitate the day to day mobility of the district’s 1.8 million residents.

This network will open in two phases. The first 13.9 kilometers of track, and its 20 stations, is scheduled to open on 25 December 2018. The second will see the full network enter service in mid-2019. It is expected to carry about 170,000 passengers per day, using 30 Citadis trams made by Alstom. Trams will run on average every 10 minutes when the network is first opened. Services will operate from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. and will connect to Line 9 of Shanghai’s metro and to a high speed train service.

This new project is another important milestone for Keolis, and follows the launch of Pujiang Line — the first automated driverless metro in Shanghai — on 31 March 2018, and the contract award for the new rapid transit metro of Shanghai International Airport.