This contract, awarded by the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), occurs a month after it awarded Keolis a five-year extension to its current contract to operate the Virginia Railway Express commuter rail.
This reflects the confidence of PRTC in Keolis as a multimodal operator to enhance passenger experience and extends Keolis’ bus footprint in the US where it operates around 1,000 buses across the country.
The PRTC Board of Directors has awarded Keolis a five-year contract worth approximately 110 million euros to operate and maintain its OmniRide bus service in Virginia from 1 November 2020.
OmniRide serves William County and its surrounding areas, which count 4.6 million inhabitants who use both the local and commuter bus service into Washington, D.C.
A total of 166 buses, adapted for people with reduced mobility, will run on the network which features 26 routes and includes 17 park-and-ride car parks. They will carry around four million passengers per year.
In responding to a competitive procurement, Keolis highlighted its extensive knowledge of the region as the operator of Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and its nationally and internationally renowned expertise in operating and maintaining bus services. Following the award, Keolis will now bring its safety-focused and passenger-centric approach to operating OmniRide’s commuter, local and paratransit service and to maintaining PRTC’s assets.
Keolis, which will integrate 237 new employees, has already begun changeover activities to ensure a smooth transition.
PRTC is also responsible for the VRE commuter rail service, in partnership with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, which is operated by Keolis and was recently extended by five years.
“We are excited to work with Keolis. Their team know the region, the expectations, and where we want to go as a service and organization. It’s an exciting time to be a part of OmniRide,” said PRTC/OmniRide’s Executive Director Dr. Bob Schneider.