Metrolink welcomes a new operator
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Posted: 17 July 2017 | Intelligent Transport | 1 comment
Greater Manchester’s Metrolink tram system has welcomed KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) as the new operator to run the iconic network.
![](https://www.intelligenttransport.com/wp-content/uploads/Metrolink-new-operator.jpg)
![](https://www.intelligenttransport.com/wp-content/uploads/Metrolink-new-operator.jpg)
Greater Manchester’s Metrolink tram system has welcomed KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) as the new operator to run the iconic network.
KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM), a joint venture partnership of leading global public transport operator, Keolis, and infrastructure asset management specialist, Amey, has taken over the reins from former operator, Metrolink RATP Dev Ltd (MRDL).
“Firstly, I’d like to place on record my thanks to MRDL for all their work and pay tribute to the staff who have played a crucial part in making the network what it is today – a fantastic, world-class light rail system,” said Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee (TfGMC). ““KeolisAmey Metrolink is a partnership between two international transport and infrastructure management specialists, with the experience and skills to operate Metrolink, create jobs, support the growth of the local economy and deliver innovative and pragmatic solutions that offer better passenger experiences.
“These are exciting times for Metrolink and the city-region and I warmly welcome KAM as the Metrolink operator. Together we will further realise the full potential and benefits of the unprecedented growth and investment we are overseeing in the network.”
The change in operator also sees the appointment of Aline Frantzen as Managing Director for KAM. Aline joins the business following 17 successful years with Yarra Trams, the world’s largest light rail network in Melbourne, Australia, which is also operated by Keolis.
“We are looking forward to working with TfGM, our partners and the community to implement our exciting plans for what is already a high-performing network,” Aline Frantzen added. ” Our approach will be focused on collaboratively working to keep Greater Manchester moving and growing.”
Key features of the new contract include a focus on improving operational reliability, and customer service and security – with an increased staff presence on the network, particularly in the evening and at weekends. KAM plans on sourcing a minimum of 40% of supplier contracts within 25 miles of Greater Manchester and creating over 300 jobs including drivers, apprenticeships and traineeships over the course of the contract, with more than 60 of those new jobs having already started, following the recruitment of additional Customer Service Representatives and Travel Safe Officers, as well as more drivers.
The new contract, to operate as well as maintain the system, will run for up to 10 years.
Related modes
Bus & Coach
Related cities
Manchester, United Kingdom
Related organisations
Keolis, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)
English people are surprising (opinion of a French man involved in Public Transport).
They are extremely satisfied with their previous operator, RATP Dev, who played a crucial role in building a network that is now a remarkable tram network in the world (“Firstly, I’d like to place on record my thanks to MRDL for all their work and pay tribute to the staff who have played a crucial part in making the network what it is today – a fantastic, world-class light rail system,” said Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee (TfGMC) “), and yet they evacuate RATP Dev at the issue of the tender, to take Keolis, a regular of broken promises.
The management of Rheims buses by Keolis after the takeover of the local operator was catastrophic, and the elected officials eventually broke the contract before the normal deadline («on avait jusqu’à présent Keolis qui dérapait sur les coûts. La subvention d’équilibre avait doublé en dix ans, sans grande amélioration” : until now Keolis costs were slipping. Subsidy had doubled in ten years, without significant improvement).
In Bordeaux, the promised passenger traffics, to take over the tram and bus network, have never been reached.
In Germany, for several years, the authorities have complained of Keolis, which operates many regional railway lines under the name Eurobahn (“Die Eurobahn bringt schlechte Leistungen und das nicht zum ersten Mal”, “Wir müssen schauen, ob die Ausfälle so gravierend sind, dass es eine Kündigung des Vertrages rechtfertigt”: Eurobahn produces a bad performance and this is not the first time. We have to examine whether the failures are sufficiently serious to justify the termination of the contract).
What is certain is that the communication of Keolis for its own promotion is “fantastic”, because it works.
For having visited and borrowed the tram of Manchester a lot of years ago, it is a very nice LRT, not enough known in France