Keolis Secures Full Ownership to Accelerate Strategic Vision
- Keolis and Downer have signed an agreement for Keolis to buy Downer’s shares in the Keolis Downer joint venture
- Building from its extensive local footprint and international experience, the Keolis Group will maintain its close collaboration with Public Transport Authorities across the country to deliver outstanding service delivery and customer experience to local communities
- The Keolis Group is committed to investing in the Australian market and will be pursuing development opportunities across Australia
Keolis and Downer have signed an agreement for Keolis to buy Downer’s shares in the Keolis Downer joint venture. The Keolis Group, who was already the majority shareholder in the joint venture, will become sole shareholder of its Australian activities, which will be rebranded to become Keolis.
Keolis Group’s acquisition reflects its ambition to continue to invest and grow in the Australian market, by partnering with local transport authorities to deliver safe, reliable and sustainable transport services.
Laurence Broseta, Keolis Group International CEO, says: “after having partnered with Downer for 15 years and successfully grown the business to become a leading multi modal public transport operator in Australia, we have agreed to adopt a different strategy moving forward by Keolis becoming the sole shareholder of our Australian business. This will allow us agility to build new partnerships based on business opportunities and projects. With our knowledge of the local market and our extensive international footprint, now is the right time to change our commercial approach.”
Leila Frances, CEO of Keolis Downer, adds: “I am proud of all the achievements that Keolis Downer has made in the last 15 years and look forward to building on that foundation with a new chapter. This is an exciting opportunity for us to maintain our focus on effective partnerships with local transport authorities to deliver positive passenger outcomes and expand our local footprint.”
Australia is a strategic market for Keolis Group, already present in 13 countries globally. Keolis’ ambition is to continue to grow in this market and bring international best practice to deliver strong operational performance, customer experience and encourage modal shift. Keolis operates all modes of transport and shared mobility services including trains, driverless metros, trams, buses, on demand transport and active transport services.
The transaction between Keolis and Downer is expected to be completed by late-2025.