The Australian High-Speed Rail Authority has appointed a consortium led by Keolis as a consultant for the operation and maintenance of the future Newcastle–Sydney line. The team will act as a ‘shadow operator’, testing as early as the design phase whether the future railway can operate efficiently and meet passengers’ needs.
The consortium, comprising the French public transport operator Keolis, the rail operator SNCF Voyageurs and the rail certification company CERTIFER, will advise the Australian authorities on the development of the country’s first high-speed rail line.
The contract was awarded by the High Speed Rail Authority – HSRA, the body responsible for Australia’s high-speed programme, for the project between Newcastle and Sydney.
The partnership has been appointed as a consultant for commercial, operational and maintenance activities under a contract known as Business, Operations and Maintenance Adviser – BOMA.
A ‘shadow operator’ from the design phase onwards
The consortium will act as a shadow operator and maintenance manager, without actually operating the trains at this stage.
Its role will be to analyse the project from the perspective of the future operator: how services will be organised, what requirements depots and maintenance facilities must meet, how trains will run and what the passenger experience will be like.
The team will also contribute to service planning, the development of the maintenance strategy, operational preparation and the integration of commercial and technical requirements.
Through this approach, the Australian authority aims to avoid a situation where the infrastructure is designed without taking sufficient account of its day-to-day operation.
“This will help ensure that the system is not only well designed from a technical point of view, but also practical, efficient and passenger-focused in operation,” said Keolis.
Experience in France, Eurostar and Morocco
Keolis will lead the consortium and ensure the overall coordination and integration of the various components of the transport system.
The company has been operating in Australia for nearly 20 years, where it provides public transport services for millions of passengers.
SNCF Voyageurs will bring the experience gained over more than four decades of operating high-speed trains, including on the French TGV network.
The consortium will also draw on experience gained from operating or developing services such as Eurostar, the Moroccan Al Boraq trains and the low-cost OUIGO services in France and Spain.
CERTIFER will contribute expertise in the fields of rail safety, assessment, authorisation and system certification.
“Australia has a tremendous opportunity to create a high-speed rail network that will transform connections between cities and regions for future generations,” said Frédéric Van Heems, Chairman of the Keolis Group.
He noted that the solutions implemented in other high-performing networks will need to be adapted to Australian communities and the needs of Australian passengers.
Keolis and SNCF, also involved in projects in Canada and California
The appointment strengthens the collaboration between Keolis and the French rail group SNCF in the field of high-speed rail.
The two companies are also involved in the development of the California High-Speed Rail project, as well as the Canadian Alto programme, which aims to build a high-speed rail link between the major cities in the Toronto–Québec corridor.
“This appointment gives us the opportunity to combine local operational experience with international expertise in high-speed rail to develop a railway of which Australians can be proud,” said David Franks, Managing Director of Keolis Australia and New Zealand.
The Newcastle–Sydney line represents the first phase of Australia’s high-speed programme, and the authorities aim to ensure that operational, maintenance and passenger service requirements are incorporated into the infrastructure design from the outset.
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