Keolis, three public transport authorities from North Rhein-Westphalia (1) in Germany and the province of Overijssel in the Netherlands (2) signed an agreement, on 15 December 2021, to make certain contractual adjustments and authorise the sale by Keolis of its German rail activities to a new shareholder, TEAM Treuhand GmbH (Groupe Noerr).
As of 1 January 2022, TEAM Treuhand GmbH will become the new shareholder of Keolis’ activities in Germany via its subsidiary, SG eurobahn UG.
The four regional train networks in the west German region of North Rhine-Westphalia will be operated under the new name eurobahn GmbH & Co KG. The existing management team will remain in charge of operations and the jobs of the 900 employees concerned will be preserved. The continuity of public service for passengers will be ensured, with no change for people travelling.
The agreement is expected to come into effect on 31 December 2021 after final regulatory approvals (3) have been obtained. This agreement is the result of constructive dialogue begun nearly 18 months ago as part of Keolis Group's decision to refocus its strategic priorities.
Keolis had been present in Germany since 2000, where it operated four regional train networks consisting of 1,000 km of track and 15 lines, carrying about 40 million passengers per year (4).
(1) Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (NWL), Verkehrsverbund Rhein Ruhr (VRR) and Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (LNVG)
(2) One of the train lines crosses the border with the Netherlands
(3) Subject to the authorisation of the Minister of the Economy, Finance and Recovery, pending approval by the Participation and Transfer Commission (CPT)
(4) Pre-Covid
