Keolis joint venture – Govia - receives new three-year contract

for operation and maintenance of UK’s largest rail network
24th March 2022

On 25 March 2022, the UK's Department of Transport (DfT) announced that it was awarding a new contract to Govia, a joint venture between Keolis (35%) and the Go-Ahead Group (65%), for train maintenance and operation of the Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) network. The network covers London and several regions to its north and south. This three-year contract will run from 1 April 2022 until 1 April 2025 with the option to extend for a further three years. 

Keolis welcomes the new contract in the United Kingdom, which demonstrates the Department of Transport's confidence in Govia's operations serving passengers on the GTR network. 

GTR is the UK's largest rail network with 1,300 km of track, and is one of the busiest in the country, with 340 million passenger journeys per year before the pandemic. The franchise operates 516 train sets, manages 235 stations and employs 7,400 people. 

Govia Thameslink Railway was established in July 2015 as a result of the consolidation of the Great Northern, Thameslink, Southern and Gatwick Express rail networks. 

Over 25 years of experience in the UK

Established in the United Kingdom since 1996 and employing 9,500 people across its businesses, Keolis has become a reference public transport operator due to its operation of several emblematic train, tram and metro networks: 

  • Govia, the joint venture created between Keolis UK (35%) and its partner Go-Ahead (65%), operates:  

  • Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the train network in the London area, since 2014. 

  • KeolisAmey, the joint venture created in 2014 by Keolis UK is a British company specialising in the operation and maintenance of transport networks:  

  • Docklands Light Railway (DLR), the automatic metro network, since 2014. Keolis (70%) and Amey (30%), 

  • Greater Manchester's Metrolink, the UK's largest tram network, since 2017. Keolis (60%) and Amey (40%), 

  • Tramlink Nottingham, the joint venture formed by Keolis UK (80%) and Wellglade Limited (20%), operates: 

  • Nottingham's tram network, since 2011. 

GTR key figures

  • approximately 1,300 kilometres of track  

  • 339 stations (including 235 managed by GTR) 

  • 516 train sets 

  • 341.5 million passengers per year (pre-Covid) 

  • 7,400 employees