Keolis verzorgt transport voor teams en supporters tijdens WK rugby 2023

Between 8 September and 9 October, Keolis will be providing transport for the 20 national teams in the group stages of Rugby World Cup France 2023. Fifty Keolis coaches have been chartered to carry the national teams’ players and technical staff from their base camps to stations and airports and to the nine stadiums where they will be playing their matches.

For the 15 matches in Bordeaux, Lille and Lyon, host cities where the Group operates the public transport networks, Keolis will also harness its experience in managing passenger transport during major sporting and cultural events.

Marie-Ange Debon, Chairwoman and Group CEO of Keolis, declares: “We are very proud to have been chosen to transport the 20 national teams taking part in the Rugby World Cup in France. I would especially like to thank the Keolis staff, and particularly the hundred or so drivers on our networks who will be responsible for making sure the international players’ journeys take place under the best conditions. And as we will also be providing transport for fans and spectators in the host cities where Keolis operates, we will be able to demonstrate our ability to manage public transport for large numbers of people during major events with total safety and peace of mind.”

Keolis has developed recognised expertise in managing transport during major sporting and cultural events through its support for many clients, both in France and abroad. The challenge is to ensure availability, regularity and interconnections between different modes of public transport during short and very intense peak times.

During Rugby World Cup 2023, for example, Keolis will manage passenger flows on the networks it operates in Bordeaux, Lyon and Lille, which will each be hosting five matches in the tournament. The Keolis teams will play a key role in ensuring the smooth, safe operation of supporters’ transport to the stadiums and fan zones. Keolis also operates the public transport networks in cities hosting the base camps of several national sides: Romania and Fiji near Bordeaux, New Zealand in Lyon, Ireland in Tours, Portugal in Perpignan and Italy in Bourgoin-Jallieu.

In Lille, almost 200 customer service staff from the Ilévia network will work closely with the police to maintain a smooth flow of passengers through the stations and help travellers board and alight. Service frequency will also be stepped up several hours before each match begins.

In addition, great care will be taken with the provision of passenger information. In Bordeaux, this will include reinforcing signage, both for getting to the stadium (posters at tram stops) and for leaving the stadium (illuminated indicators showing the way to the tramway and shuttle buses).

Ticket purchases will also be simplified to improve the user experience. In Bordeaux, special tickets for the length of the supporters’ stay will be promoted via the TBM app and ticket machines.

• During the FIFA World Cup in Doha (Qatar) in 2022, Keolis transported 18.2 million passengers, averaging 600,000 metro users every day. Punctuality and traffic fluidity figures of 99.66% and 99.81% respectively were recorded.
• In Boston in 2023, a special train was chartered for three Taylor Swift gigs, carrying 8,000 passengers over the series of concerts. 
• At the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne in 2023, Keolis transported up to 5,800 passengers an hour, delivering a total of 339,000 journeys over the four days of the event.