NOVEMBER 2 – Boston, MA – On November 1, Keolis began operating the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission’s (PRTC) OmniRide services in Northern Virginia. Keolis’ partnership with the PRTC is the latest example of the public transit operator’s expanding footprint in the United States and the greater Washington, D.C. metro region. This builds upon current operations of the Virginia Railway Express with Keolis now serving over 4.6 million residents in the region.

OmniRide provides local and commuter services to residents of Prince William and surrounding counties. These services provide the community with convenient transportation options, including commuter and local bus services, carpools, vanpools, ridesharing, and a new pilot paratransit service.

Keolis’ female-led team assumed responsibility of OmniRide operations on November 1, 2020 after a three-month transition period. General Manager Barbara Murdock, with over 30 years in the transportation industry, will head the OmniRide team. In line with Keolis’ drive to increase diversity at all levels, the OmniRide management team includes 86% female leadership. This is an important step forward for not only Keolis and OmniRide but for the public transportation industry.

“Seeing months of careful planning come to fruition is truly rewarding. The entire leadership team has been working tirelessly to ensure a smooth and seamless transition,” Murdock said. “Keolis’ commitment to diversity is part of what brought me here, and I look forward to bringing those values to work every day as we build strong relationships with our employees and the OmniRide community.”

PRTC also cosponsors the Virginia Railway Express commuter rail service in partnership with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, which is currently operated by Keolis. With the addition of OmniRide services in Virginia, Keolis becomes a true multi-modal operator in the Washington D.C. metro area. This provides OmniRide passengers with the highest level of customer service and a focus on improving their riding experience.

 “We are excited to expand our partnership with the PRTC and to officially begin OmniRide operations,” said President and CEO of Keolis Transit America Aline Frantzen. “With the addition of OmniRide services, Keolis is providing critical multi-modal transportation and commuter services to northern Virginia and Washington D.C. residents. This is the first step in seamless travel, and we look forward to helping people move better throughout the area.”

About Keolis in North America

 Keolis provides safe, reliable mobility services to millions of people every year. With the rider experience at the forefront, Keolis safely carries over 121 million passengers each year on local, commuter, paratransit, and commuter rail services in North America. Keolis employs over 6,000 people throughout the United States and Canada.

About Keolis Group

The Keolis Group is a pioneer in developing public transport systems and works alongside public decision-makers who want to turn shared mobility systems into levers to enhance the appeal and vitality of their regions. A world leader in operating automated metro and tramway systems, Keolis is supported by a sustained and open innovative policy alongside all of its partners and subsidiaries – Kisio, EFFIA, Keolis Santé and Cykleo – to bolster its core business and develop new innovative and bespoke shared mobility solutions, including trains, buses and coaches, trolleybuses, shared car solutions, river and sea shuttle services, bike share services, car sharing, fully electric driverless shuttles and urban cable cars. In France, Keolis is the second largest parking company through its subsidiary EFFIA, and the country’s leading medical transport solution since the creation of Keolis Santé in July 2017.

The Group is 70%-owned by SNCF and 30%-owned by the Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec (Quebec Deposit and Investment Fund) and employs some 68,500 people in 16 countries*. In 2019, it posted revenue of €6.5 billion. In 2019, 3.4 billion passengers used one of Keolis’ shared mobility services. www.keolis.com

* Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Senegal, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.