Trams: combining speed, confort and ecology

Reliable, fast, comfortable, environmentally friendly and attractive: trams have it all. An important link in the multimodal transport system, they connect neighbourhoods and relieve congestion in city centres. With more than 45 years' expertise and 28 reference networks in tram operation and maintenance, Keolis is the world leader and the preferred partner of public transport authorities, which use this mode of transport to cater to their citizens' mobility needs. Backed by its operational excellence, Keolis aims to provide the highest levels of service, safety and reliability for its passengers.

Active in the operation and maintenance of 28 tram networks, Keolis operates more than 1,000 km of track in nine countries over four continents. This expertise ensures that we meet the highest standards of safety, comfort, punctuality and intermodality. Recent contracts testify to Keolis' commitment to safety, quality, innovation and sustainability.

In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Keolis-MHI took over the operation and maintenance of the CBTC light rail and the CBTC driverless automatic metro systems (the longest line in the world). This contract highlights the Group's ability to provide high-quality, flexible services that can adapt to daily variations in passenger numbers. Keolis furthermore continued to expand internationally with the launch of the Dujiangyan tram network in China in 2024.

In Qatar, as a member of the Qitarat joint venture, Keolis operates and maintains the three tram lines in the new city of Lusail, complementing the CBTC driverless automatic metro in Doha. This light rail network marks a new milestone in the deployment of state-of-the-art, multimodal and environmentally friendly public transport systems.

Connecting people reliably, quickly, simply and pleasantly is what Keolis stands for.

Simplifying journeys with open payment

Keolis uses digital solutions to make travelling easier. In Dijon, Keolis (Divia Mobilités) has introduced contactless payment terminals on its trams. To buy and validate their ticket, all passengers simply hold their contactless payment card close to the terminal. This simplifies the passenger experience and avoids delays caused by buying a ticket from the driver. Open payment additionally offers passengers the most attractive fare for their journey, since the day fare is applied from the third journey onwards. In Jiaxing, China, passengers with a smartphone can buy their ticket online and validate it with a QR code.

Ensuring smooth traffic

As they run on their own right of way, trams relieve passengers of the stress of traffic jams. Keolis also adapts its systems to ensure smooth flowing services in all circumstances. In Jiaxing, China, the trams operated by Keolis are fitted with infrared cameras and radar to detect on-track obstacles and alert the control centre in seconds, using 5G technology. The control centre can then slow or stop tram traffic and dispatch a team to resolve the problem. A passenger counting system helps to adjust the service depending on crowding, resulting in smoother traffic at peak times. 

Safety, the absolute priority

Keolis takes great care to guarantee the safety of its passengers and staff, as well as that of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists who share the road space with its trams. It constantly strives for a single goal: zero at-fault accidents. Keolis works on all fronts to make trams - and all its transport networks - safe and pleasant modes of travel, with safety training, strict safety procedures, eye-catching communication campaigns and antisocial behaviour prevention. 

Since it took over the operation of its first tram line in 1977, Keolis has continued to develop best practices to deliver top operational performance on its networks.

Global expertise

Keolis' expertise covers every stage in the life cycle of a tram network, from operation and maintenance to staff recruitment and training. To capitalise on its experience, Keolis created a Metro & Tram Centre of Excellence in 2015. Based in Lyon, France, this entity centralises the Group's innovations and best practices. its experts contribute intelligence and recommendations at the request of subsidiaries at any stage of the project: preliminary studies, readiness for operation, or implementation.

Acknowledged asset management capabilities

Keolis applies its predictive maintenance methods, developed for trains, to trams. Using asset management software, the Group anticipates rolling stock failures and optimises maintenance operations. In Melbourne, Australia, Keolis operates the world's largest tram network, Yarra Trams, with 250 km of double track and over 1,700 stops. It is also one of the oldest networks in the world, with trams and infrastructure dating from very different generations. All these assets must function seamlessly and be maintained, refurbished and sometimes replaced: a task that our Australian subsidiary masters with brio.

Flexible, fast and accessible, tram systems relieve congestion in city centres and their suburbs. They are also environmentally friendly, reducing communities' carbon footprints and supporting the energy transition. To build tram networks tailored to the needs of people and communities, Keolis engages in ongoing dialogue with its various stakeholders: public transport authorities, user federations, local businesses, etc.

 A linchpin of multimodality

As a high-capacity public transport system, trams are easy to integrate into existing networks. Combined with other public transport solutions (train, bus, on-demand transport) and soft mobility, this mode of transport completes the multimodal range in towns and cities.

An answer to energy issues

By promoting multimodal transport, trams contribute to limiting the use of private cars and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This mode of transport displays excellent environmental credentials, with emissions of between 3 and 6 kg of carbon dioxide per passenger per year.

Blending into the streetscape

Our trams are a coherent part of an increasingly complex urban environment characterised by urban sprawl, increasing population density, a multitude of transport modes with growing numbers of users, and pedestrianisation. Employed as an urban planning blueprint, tram systems offer an appealing means of upgrading city centres. 

The T9 tram line in the Île-de-France region, run by Keolis since 10 April 2021, connects Porte de Choisy in Paris to Orly town centre. Building the line provided the opportunity to redistribute public space among all its users, create a safer, more enjoyable route for pedestrians, and put in place a continuous bike lane between Paris and the centre of Orly. The tram service carries 80,000 passengers per day and end-to-end journey time is around half an hour.