Veolia Transport (formerly Connex) is the international transport services division of the French-based multinational company Veolia Environnement. Veolia Transport trades under the brand names of Veolia Transportation (in North America), Veolia Transport, Veolia Verkehr in Germany, with the former name Connex preserved in Melbourne, Lebanon, Israel and Jersey.
Veolia has diverse road and rail operations across the globe, employing 72,000 workers worldwide and serving completely or partly about 40 metropolitan areas with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants, including:
- Asia : Mumbai, Seoul, Nanjing, Huainan, Hong Kong,
- Europe : Paris, Marseille, Lyons, Barcelona, Madrid, Belgrade, Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Prague, Warsaw, Dublin, Tyne & Wear,
- North America : Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Sacramento, San Diego and Toronto (York) Region,
- South America : Bogota and Santiago,
- Oceania : Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland.
In 2007, the group posted revenues of €5.6 billion.[1]
The rail freight branch of the organisation Veolia Cargo was sold in 2009 to SNCF and Eurotunnel.[2].
Asia and Middle East
People's Republic of China
-
- Huaibei : Bus network operated as a joint venture into a city of 2 040 000 habitants (932 185 hab. urban in 2006) in Anhui province,
- Huainan : Bus network operated as a joint venture into a city of 1 076 000 habitants (1 075 754 hab. urban in 2006) in Anhui province,
- Nanjing : 2 bus networks into Pukou and Luhe Districts in the western part of the city on the other side of the Yangtze,
- Ma'anshan : Bus network operated as a joint venture into a city of 1 243 900 inhabitants (545 534 hab. urban in 2006) forming part of outer suburban Nanjing,
- Hong Kong Island : Veolia acquired 50% of Hong Kong Tramways and took over the daily operations from The Wharf on April 7, 2009.
Israel
India
-
- Mumbai: Veolia is part of a consortium which is led by Anil Ambani's Reliance Energy Limited. Hong Kong MTR is the other partner. They will build the first corridor of the Mumbai Metrorail on the 11.4 km stretch between Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar on the east-west corridor. The project is expected to begin by end of 2006, to be completed by 2009.
Korea
Europe
Belgium
- Veolia operates some de Lijn routes under contract.
A Veolia bus in Helsinki advertising the
Hesburger fast-food chain
Czech Republic
- Veolia is the largest bus operator, after a 2002 take-over of the Slezsko regional network in Silesia. Veolia runs 12 urban transport networks especially around Ostrava and Teplice and 3 travel agencies. It also runs an international train service between the Czech Republic and Germany.
Denmark
- Veolia ran half of the transport operations of the privatised Combus especially around Copenhagen. These operations were sold to Arriva in October 2007.
Finland
-
- Helsinki: Veolia owns Helsinki Metropolitan Area's bus company Veolia Finland, which was previously Linjebuss and operates essentially in Vantaa, a northern suburb of Helsinki.
- Tampere: Veolia owns the regional bus company previously known as Alhonen & Lastunen
- Seinäjoki: Veolia owns yet another local bus company, now known as Veolia Transport West Oy, operating both local and long-distance routes.
France
Tramway on tires in
Nancy France
- The company is the third largest private sector operator of public transport and operates:
- 7 tramway networks across the country: 5 in service (Bordeaux, Nice, Rouen, Nancy) ; 1 in construction in suburban Lyon, (Lesly) and two in project (Le Havre and Toulon)
- 77 bus networks (January 1, 2009), especially in Bordeaux, Nice, Rouen, Saint-Étienne, Toulon, Le Havre and Nancy
- More than 25 suburban networks in suburban Paris : (Seine-St-Denis "TRA", Melun "Tram", Sénart "Sénart Bus", etc.)
- 4 tourist railways (Petit train de la Rhune, Vapeur du Trieux, Chemin de Fer de La Mure and Chemins de Fer de Provence)[4]
- Ferry services in Mediterranéa: Veolia recently bought 28% of the Société Nationale Maritime Corse Méditerranée, a previously state-owned ferry company.
The Bayerische Oberlandbahn near
Munich is operated by Veolia.
Germany
- Veolia Verkehr, former Connex Verkehr, offers train services, several of a regional character such as the Bayerische Oberlandbahn from Munich, and two long-distance services. Veolia owns a number of bus companies, mostly in suburban areas. It also operates tram systems:
- Aachen: Suburban buses,
- Berlin: Suburban tram line linking to the S Bahn,
- Frankfurt: Suburban buses,
- Hagen: Urban network,
- Pforzheim: Urban network won by Veolia in August 2006. Network included in "Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund GmbH" (KVV) and linked to it by Tram-Train line,
- Schwäbisch Hall: Urban network,
- Stuttgart: Suburban buses,
- ...and also into rural areas.
Ireland
- Dublin: Veolia operates the Luas tramway which started operations in June 2004.
- Galway: Veolia owned the Nestor Airlink bus company which operates between Galway and Dublin Airport. However Jim Burke & Sons. own and run it now, as of March 2009. Gobus.ie.
Jersey
Netherlands
- Veolia Transport Nederland consists of:
- Veolia Transport Veluwe, operating in "De Veluwe" region in Gelderland,
- Veolia Transport Brabant, operating in middle and western Noord-Brabant with 4 urban networks in Breda, Tilburg, Bergen op Zoom and Roosendaal,
- Veolia Transport Limburg, operating in the whole province of Limburg, including city buses in Maastricht, Parkstad (Heerlen-Kerkrade-Landgraaf-Brunssum), Venlo, and Roermond and the Roermond–Nijmegen and Maastricht–Kerkrade train routes.
- Veolia Transport Fast Ferries Zeeland (Westerschelde ferry)
- Veolia Transport Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen, in the southern part of Zeeland province
- Veolia Cargo Nederland – freight trains
Norway
Poland
- Veolia owns a number of bus companies and operates an urban network:
- Tczew: Urban city network.
Serbia
- Veolia owns a number of bus companies and operates 2 urban networks:
Slovakia
- Nitra: Urban network and bus station.
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
See also: Bus transport in the United Kingdom
- Connex South Eastern - A train opperator on the southeastern of England only ran from 1996 to 9 November 2003, the contract was due to run to 2011. It lost the contract due to poor management.
- Connex South Central - A train opperator on the southern of England only ran from between October 1996 until mid-2001, the contact was due to run to 2006. It lost its contract so early because of its management and poor performance.
- Dunn-Line – A National Express franchisee,
- Veolia Transport Cymru, which has bought up:
- Pullman Coaches.
- Bebb Travel – A National Express franchisee,
- Shamrock Coaches are seen with Veolia address and contact details as well as their own and vice versa.
- Longs
- Astons Coaches of Worcester
- Hawkes
- Paul James Coaches
- Veolia Transport – Running a number of local services in Tyne & Wear. (Veolia local and sightseeing services in York were taken over by Transdev York in Summer 2008.)
Oceania
Australia
- Connex changed its name to the same as its French parent company's, Veolia, in January 2006. Branding on buses and trains is being changed to reflect this position, with the exception of the Melbourne suburban rail system. Turnover for Australia is over $635 million Australian dollars.
- Brisbane, Queensland: Veolia operates as Veolia Transport Brisbane, using the former National Bus Company's fleet.
- Mandurah, Western Australia: Veolia operates local Southern Coast Transit bus lines in the Mandurah/Rockingham area that feed the Transperth rail line to Mandurah.
- Melbourne, Victoria: Veolia Transport originally held the franchise for operating half of Melbourne's suburban rail system, later extending to the entire network in 2004. The contract expired on 30 November 2009, with Metro Trains Melbourne taking over.[5]
- Sydney, New South Wales: Veolia operates a Light Rail, a Monorail and Veolia Transport NSW (Formerly Connex/Connex Southtrans) commuter bus services consisting of 5 depots, Bankstown, Villawood, Taren Point, Menai and Revesby.
New Caledonia
- Nouméa: Veolia created and runs the Noumea suburban bus network.
New Zealand
North America
Veolia Transportation is the North American business unit of Veolia Transport [6]
USA
Veolia arrived in the United States in 2001, with the acquisition of Yellow Transportation in Baltimore, Maryland. On September 1, 2005.
Veolia (then "Connex") acquired ATC, making Connex-ATC the largest privately owned public transportation company in North America. In 2006, Connex-ATC changed its name to Veolia Transportation, acquired ShuttlePort, and won several contracts in the USA, including:
- Antelope Valley Transit Authority in Los Angeles County, California,
- Atlanta : In suburban Gwinnett County, Georgia, Gwinnett County Transit operates bus routes within as well as Express Bus routes to Atlanta.
- Austin : Capital MetroRail and bus routes throughout Austin and surrounding communities. In March 2009, employees of Veolia Transportation were said to have tested trains on rail sections without prior approval and hence the Capital MetroRail was delayed.[7]
- Denver, CO: Regional Transportation District (RTD) routes throughout the metro-wide District.
- Las Vegas: Citizens Area Transit in Las Vegas (now RTC Transit) including The Deuce & MAX (soon to be known as ACE) BRT,
- Los Angeles : Veolia operates the Metrolink Commuter Rail system, DASH community shuttles in downtown L.A. and paratransit for OCTA , along with managing Foothill Transit,
- Miami : Tri-Rail, a train system won in 2007 in the Miami metropolitan area of Florida,
- New Orleans : Bus and Streetcar systems in New Orleans (won in 2008) and Jefferson Parish,
- Phoenix : the Valley Metro bus system serving the Phoenix metropolitan area of Arizona with contracts in Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe,
- Sacramento : In suburban Yolo County, California, Yolobus provides public transportation.
- San Diego : San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus routes and the SPRINTER DMU rail system in San Diego County, California,
- Victor Valley transit serving the Victorville, California area.
Veolia now employs over 16,000 employees with 6,500 vehicles and a revenue of approx. $495 M. in 2005 in North America. Its executive team includes Mark Joseph (CEO of VTNA). It is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Veolia also owns the SuperShuttle airport shuttle service.
Veolia has been the subject of several investigations by the Federal Railroad Administration for safety violations in both Texas [8] and California [9]. On September 12, 2008, a Veolia engineer operating a Metrolink train in Southern California failed to obey a red signal and crashed his train head on into a Union Pacific freight train causing at least 23 deaths.[10]
Canada
In April 2005 Veolia were awarded the contract in York Region in suburban Toronto, Ontario, Canada running the bus rapid transit (BRT) naming the routes VIVA and joining with York Region Transit (YRT) as a one fare transit system.[11]
Veolia also operates transit services in the Greater Montreal Area
South America
Chile
- Santiago: Veolia operates feeder services to the Metro and "Troncales" in northern suburban Santiago.
Colombia
- Bogotá: Veolia, in conjunction with three other operators, runs a 90 km right-of-way bus line called the TransMilenio system used by more than 1,400,000 persons a day.
Controversy
Veolia has been contracted to build a rail line from Mt. Herzl in the West of Jerusalem to a series of the Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem. This line, which is intended for the use of these settlers, will cut through Palestinian regions without stops. In November 2006, ASN, a Dutch bank, broke off financial relations with Veolia on account of the light rail contract.
According to Al-Jazeera "Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights (LPHR) has overseen significant research that makes a strong legal case for local authorities to exclude Veolia Environmental Services from bidding for local authority contracts. This will enable campaigners to challenge UK local authorities which hold a contract with, or invite, Veolia to tender for a contract. If no satisfactory response is given, legal action could be the next move." [12].
References
External links
