FRANCE: Paris regional transport authority Ile-de-France Mobilités has formally awarded the Stretto consortium of Keolis-SNCF Voyageurs the first tendered contract for the operation of Transilien passenger services.
The contract awarded on October 12 covers three routes operated using a fleet of 41 Alstom Citadis Dualis tram-trains.
The Y-shaped tram route T4 from Bondy to Aulnay-sous-Bois and Hôpital de Montfermeil and the branch of Transilien Line P between Esbly to Crécy-la-Chapelle are currently operated by SNCF Voyageurs under the Transilien brand.
Tram route T11 from Le Bourget to Epinay-sur-Seine is currently operated by the Transkeo T11 joint venture of Keolis and SNCF Voyageurs.
RATP Cap Ile-de-France and Transdev had also bid for the contract, which will see Stretto run the services for seven years from March 2025.
IDF Mobilités has signed an agreement with infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau which means Stretto will be responsible for maintenance on T4 and T11 and operate the 32 stops.
There are around 900 services/day carrying 70 000 passengers/day on the three routes, around 2% of the Transilien network’s total ridership. The services total 2·9 million train-km/year, around 4·6% of the Transilien network.
The 400 staff on the three lines will be transferred to Stretto, which aims to bring together its two parent companies’ experience of trams-trains to offer improved punctuality and reliability and better passenger information.
Two other calls for tenders have been issued by IDF Mobilités. The first covers tram routes T12 and T13, and the second suburban Line L.
IDF Mobilités plans to open the entire Transilien network to competition by 2033.
