Veolia Transport

Veolia Transport
Company type	Division of Veolia Environnement
Industry	Transportation
Predecessor	CGEA Transport, Connex
Founded	1 January 1997
Defunct	2011 (consolidated into Veolia Transdev)
Fate	Merged with Transdev to form Veolia Transdev
Headquarters	Paris, France
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Rail and road transport services
Number of employees	72,000 (2011)
Parent	Veolia Environnement

Veolia Transport—previously known as Connex and CGEA Transport—served as the international transportation division of the French multinational corporation Veolia until its 2011 consolidation into Veolia Transdev, which was later rebranded as Transdev. This division operated under various brand identities, including Veolia Transportation in North America and Israel, Veolia Transport in other regions, Veolia Verkehr in Germany, while continuing to use the Connex name in locations such as Lebanon, Melbourne (until 2009), and Jersey (until late 2012).

By the year 2011, Veolia Transport was responsible for a wide array of rail and road transport services worldwide, employing approximately 72,000 personnel and providing transit solutions to nearly 40 metropolitan regions, each with populations exceeding one million residents.

CGEA Transport

Established on 1 January 1997 under the name CGEA Transport, this division evolved from the public transportation operations of Compagnie Générale d'Entreprises Automobiles (CGEA), itself a subsidiary of Compagnie Générale des Eaux (CGE).

CGE had taken ownership of CGEA in 1980; its environmental services segment was rebranded as Onyx Environnement in 1989, allowing CGEA to concentrate exclusively on transport activities. Moreover, Compagnie générale française des transports et entreprises (CGFTE), acquired by CGE during the 1980s, was merged into CGEA in 1988.

Vivendi, Connex and Veolia

The parent company CGE was renamed Vivendi in 1998 and subsequently established Vivendi Environnement in 1999 to unify its environmental service divisions, including transport operations. Vivendi Environnement adopted the Veolia Environnement name in 2003.

In 1999, CGEA Transport rebranded itself as Connex, adopting the brand identity previously used by its rail franchises South Central and South Eastern in South East England since 1996. In 2005, as part of a global rebranding initiative across Veolia Environnement subsidiaries, Connex became Veolia Transport. However, some entities such as Connex Melbourne continued to use the Connex branding and logo.

By 2007, Veolia Transport reported revenues amounting to €5.6 billion and divested its rail freight division, Veolia Cargo, in 2009 to SNCF and Eurotunnel.

In July 2009, a merger was announced between Veolia Transport and the former Transdev, then owned by Caisse des Dépôts. This merger was finalized in March 2011, creating Veolia Transdev—a global private-sector leader in sustainable mobility—with over 110,000 employees operating across 28 countries. The company was renamed Transdev in 2013.

Following underwhelming financial performance, Veolia Environnement initiated restructuring measures in July 2011 and unveiled a €5 billion divestment plan spanning 2012–2013. As part of this strategy, Veolia sold its stake in Transdev and withdrew from the transportation sector entirely. In January 2019, Veolia transferred its remaining shares in Transdev to the Rethmann Group, proprietors of Rhenus.

France

Ranking as the third-largest private public transport operator nationally, the company managed:
- Seven tramway systems: five operational networks (Bordeaux, Nice, Rouen, Nancy); one under development near suburban Lyon (Lesly); plus two planned lines (Le Havre and Toulon)
- Seventy-seven bus networks as of January 1, 2009—prominently serving cities like Bordeaux, Nice, Rouen, Saint-Étienne, Toulon, Le Havre, and Nancy
- More than twenty-five suburban transit networks around the Paris area (including Seine-St-Denis "TRA", Melun "Tram", and Sénart "Sénart Bus")
- Four heritage railways: Petit train de la Rhune, Vapeur du Trieux, Chemin de Fer de La Mure, and Chemins de Fer de Provence
- Mediterranean ferry operations through a 28% ownership stake acquired in Société Nationale Maritime Corse Méditerranée (SNCM), formerly a government-owned ferry operator

Belgium

In 1995, Autocars De Polder became part of the Veolia Group.
Veolia managed certain de Lijn routes under contractual agreements.

Veolia Transport Belgium (VTB) was incorporated into Veolia Transdev before being sold in March 2014 to a consortium consisting of Cube Infrastructure and Gimv.

Denmark

Veolia operated approximately half of the privatized Combus network, focusing mainly on suburban bus services around Copenhagen.

These services were divested to Arriva in October 2007.

Finland

In Helsinki, Veolia owned the metropolitan bus operator, previously known as Linjebuss, with a primary service area in the northern suburb of Vantaa.
Veolia controlled the regional bus company formerly called Alhonen & Lastunen in Tampere.
In Seinäjoki, local and long-distance routes were operated by Veolia Transport West Oy.

On 5 February 2015, Veolia Transport Finland Oy was rebranded as Transdev Finland Oy.

Germany

Operating under the name Veolia Verkehr, formerly Connex Verkehr, the company provided regional rail services including the Bayerische Oberlandbahn out of Munich, along with two long-distance routes. Veolia also owned multiple suburban bus operators and ran tram networks in:
- Aachen: Suburban bus lines,
- Berlin: Suburban tram connection to the S-Bahn,
- Frankfurt: Urban routes A&E plus suburban bus services,
- Bad Homburg: Urban and suburban buses,
- Hagen, Schwäbisch Hall, and Stuttgart: Both urban and suburban transit systems,
- Pforzheim: Urban network integrated with "Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund GmbH" (KVV) through a Tram-Train line awarded in August 2006,
- Alongside various rural service areas.

Following acquisition by Transdev, Veolia Verkehr was renamed Transdev GmbH in March 2015.

Ireland

In Dublin, Veolia operated the Luas tram system beginning June 2004; operational control later transferred to Transdev Ireland under Veolia Transdev.
In Galway, Veolia owned Nestor Airlink, providing bus connections between Galway and Dublin Airport, which was sold to Jim Burke & Sons by March 2009.

Jersey

From September 2002 until December 2012, Jersey’s bus services were managed by Connex Transport Jersey under the Mybus brand.

Netherlands

Veolia Transport Nederland managed:
- Veolia Transport Veluwe in De Veluwe, Gelderland province,
- Veolia Transport Haaglanden covering South Holland,
- Veolia Transport Brabant operating urban networks in cities such as Breda, Tilburg, Bergen op Zoom, and Roosendaal,
- Veolia Transport Limburg serving Limburg province including Maastricht, Parkstad (Heerlen-Kerkrade-Landgraaf-Brunssum), Venlo, Roermond, along with train routes Roermond–Nijmegen and Maastricht–Kerkrade,
- Veolia Transport Fast Ferries Zeeland operating the Western Scheldt ferry,
- Veolia Transport Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen in southern Zeeland.
The company previously ran freight train services through Veolia Cargo] Nederland, which were sold to SNCF Geodis in 2009.

In March 2011, Veolia Transport Nederland merged into Transdev, joining forces with Connexxion to establish Transdev Nederland. Both brands continued to operate independently until June 2015 when unified management was introduced. After the Limburg concession concluded in December 2016, remaining operations in Haaglanden were rebranded as Connexxion.

Norway

Operations managed by Veolia Transport Norge included:
- The Trondheim Tramway,
- Bus services in Rogaland,
- Bus and ferry services in Nordland,
- Bus and ferry operations in Finnmark.

On 6 May 2011, a management buyout led to the sale of Veolia Transport Norge, which was subsequently rebranded as Boreal Transport Norge AS. Ownership was transferred to Transport Management AS (holding 1.4%, representing management) and Cube Norge AS (holding 98.6%), the latter being a subsidiary of Luxembourg-based Cube Communications Infrastructure S.C.A..

Spain

In Barcelona, Veolia operated two separate tram systems: Trambaix and Trambesòs, along with suburban rail networks in Terrassa and Mataró.
In Bilbao, Veolia managed the Bilbobus urban transit network after securing the contract in 2008, which was sold off in 2012.
The urban transit system in Jerez was also under Veolia's purview.
A tramway serving the suburban area of Madrid, specifically in Parla, was part of their operations.

Sweden

Veolia Transport Sverige AB was responsible for various Swedish transport services:
- In Gothenburg, it owned the ferry company Styrsöbolaget, operating cross-river ferries known as Älvsnabben and routes to the southern archipelago; additionally, it operated local bus and regional lines under contract to the regional authority (Västtrafik).
- The Norrköping tramway was operated for Östgötatrafiken in Norrköping.
- Until April 2012, Veolia managed three tram networks in Stockholm (Lidingöbanan, Nockebybanan, and Tvärbanan) as well as the local railway Saltsjöbanan on behalf of SL. It also ran the Metro until 2009, when operations were taken over by Hong Kong's MTR.
- In Malmö, seasonal long-distance train services connected Malmö to Stockholm and extended to Åre, alongside summer routes from Malmö to Berlin via a train ferry operating between Trelleborg and Sassnitz.

In February 2015, Veolia Transport Sverige AB was rebranded as Transdev Sverige AB.

United Kingdom

Connex South Eastern provided rail services in south-east England from 14 October 1996 until 9 November 2003. Although its franchise was originally scheduled to run until 2011, it was terminated early due to financial mismanagement despite government warnings.
Connex South Central operated in southern England between 26 May 1996 and 25 August 2001. Although initially contracted until 2003, the franchise was awarded to Govia in 2000, who assumed control by August 2001.
Connex Bus UK began operations across greater London in mid-1999 but was sold to National Express in 2004 following the loss of its rail franchises.
Veolia sold its Nottingham bus and private hire coach operations, including Dunn-Line (a contractor for National Express), to Premiere Travel in January 2011; National Express coach contracts were transferred to Yourbus earlier that same month.
Veolia Transport Cymru acquired multiple operators—such as Pullman Coaches, Bebb Travel (a National Express contractor), Shamrock Coaches, Hawkes, and Longs—but ceased operations by December 2012.
Additional UK holdings included Astons Coaches based in Kempsey, Worcester, and Paul James Coaches, which was acquired by Centrebus in October 2011.
Veolia also operated local bus services secured through Nexus in the Tyne & Wear area. Its local and sightseeing bus operations in York were taken over by Transdev York in August 2008.

By the time Veolia Transdev underwent rebranding in 2013, Veolia Transport had fully withdrawn from the UK market. However, since York’s services transitioned into Transdev York—a part of the historic Transdev—they were eventually reintegrated into Veolia Transdev and now operate under the current Transdev group.

Central Europe

Veolia Transport Central Europe functioned as a subsidiary within the Central European region. In spring 2013, it was incorporated into Veolia Transdev before being sold to Arriva.

Czech Republic

As one of the major bus operators in the Czech Republic, Veolia Transport also managed a regional railway line along with a trolleybus system. Between 2002 and 2004, under the Connex brand, it acquired several companies including ČSAD Ostrava, Třinec, Praha-Vršovice, Příbram, and DP Teplice. Additional smaller acquisitions followed in 2005 (MAD Kolín), 2008 (Nerabus), and 2010 (Spojbus). The company rebranded from Connex to Veolia Transport in 2008. Although it competed for passenger rail contracts from 2004 to 2007, it did not secure any new rail operations.

Since 2006, Veolia Transport Česká republika a. s., a subsidiary of Veolia Transport Central Europe, consists of four operators:
- Veolia Transport Morava a. s., created by merging ČSAD BUS Ostrava→Connex Morava and ČSAD Třinec→BUS Slezsko, provides regional bus services across the Moravian-Silesian Region and Olomouc Region. It operates urban transit systems in seven cities including Třinec, Český Těšín, Šumperk, and Krnov, alongside long-distance, skibus, and cyclobus routes; additionally, it runs local railway line 293 (Desná Railway).
- Veolia Transport Východní Čechy a. s., formed from ČSAD AUTOBUSY CZ Chrudim→Connex Východní Čechy and Městská autobusová doprava Kolín, manages regional bus lines throughout eastern Bohemia (Central Bohemian Region, Pardubice Region, Hradec Králové Region), urban transit in Chrudim, Kutná Hora, and Kolín, plus some long-distance and seasonal routes.
- Veolia Transport Praha s. r. o., derived from ČSAD Praha-Vršovice→Connex Praha, ČSAD Příbram→Connex Příbram, NERABUS, and SPOJBUS, operates regional routes south and southeast of Prague including several Prague city transport lines as well as urban networks in Příbram, Neratovice, Roudnice nad Labem, and Říčany.
- Veolia Transport Teplice s. r. o., formerly DP Teplice, is responsible for the urban bus and trolleybus systems in Teplice.

Slovakia

In Nitra, Veolia operated the urban transit network along with the bus station facilities.

Poland

Veolia held ownership of multiple bus companies and ran city transit systems such as:
- In Tczew, managing the local urban bus network.

Serbia

Veolia controlled several bus companies operating two urban transit systems:
- In Belgrade, providing urban city transportation.
- In Požarevac, covering urban, suburban, and intercity routes.

East Asia (excluding Philippines)

Operations in East Asia were overseen by a joint venture formed in July 2009 between Veolia Transport and the RATP Group, known as Veolia Transport RATP Asia (VTRA). This partnership unified all pre-existing Veolia Transport entities and contracts within the region. Subsequently, Veolia Transport’s stake was transferred to Veolia Transdev, leading to the joint venture being renamed as RATP Dev Transdev Asia (RDTA).

China

In 2008, Veolia Transport Chinese Limited (VTCL) partnered with Nanjing Zhongbei to form a joint venture responsible for operating bus services in multiple locations:

The cities of Anqing, Huaibei, Huainan, and Ma'anshan within Anhui province
Suburban districts Luhe and Pukou around Nanjing

These operations were integrated into VTRA in 2009.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Island: On April 7, 2009, VTCL acquired a 50% stake in Hong Kong Tramways, assuming responsibility for daily operations from The Wharf. By February 17, 2010, VTCL had obtained full ownership. Currently, the tramways operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of RATP Dev Transdev Asia.

India

Mumbai: Veolia Transport became part of a consortium led by Reliance Infrastructure alongside the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to establish Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd. Subsequently, Veolia’s share was transferred to VTRA, now known as RATP Dev Transdev Asia. This partnership developed the inaugural corridor of the Mumbai Metro, an 11.4 km east–west route connecting Versova, Andheri, and Ghatkopar. Construction began in 2008 with the corridor opening in 2014. Today, RATP Dev Transdev Asia retains a 70% ownership in Metro One Operation Pvt Ltd, the operating company.

Macau

Macau: The entity now known as Veolia Transport RATP Dev formed Reolian Public Transport Co. to manage bus services in Macau starting August 1, 2011. This included control over two of the five route groups, covering essential main routes. However, the joint venture filed for bankruptcy on October 1, 2013, and ceased operations by July 2014, after which services were handed over to a different operator.

South Korea

Seoul: The operation of Seoul Subway Line 9 is managed by Metro 9, a joint venture with Veolia Transport Korea holding an 80% share and Hyundai Rotem owning 20%. The line commenced service in 2009. Ownership of Veolia’s former stake has since been transferred to RATP Dev Transdev Asia.

Philippines

In the early 2000s, Connex was responsible for operating bus services under the Bonifacio Transport Corporation. The precise date when these operations concluded remains unspecified.

Light Rail

Jerusalem: In 2003, Veolia won a $500 million contract to construct and maintain the Jerusalem Light Rail, envisioned as an eight-line system across the city with completion aimed for 2020. The initial line opened in 2011. The project faced significant controversy and became a focus of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. In 2009, Veolia contemplated selling its stake to the Dan Bus Company for $15–20 million but eventually agreed to sell to Egged in 2010, leading Dan to initiate legal action against Veolia. After transitioning to Veolia Transdev, the sale to Egged received approval in August 2015.

Buses

Veolia operated bus services throughout Israel under the Veolia Transportation brand and previously also under Connex during the late 2000s. Their network comprised:

Modi'in: Urban and intercity routes linking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, formerly managed by Margalit.
Ashdod: Intercity routes connecting to Tel Aviv, the Gush Dan area, and Ashkelon; previously overseen by Egged Bus Cooperative.
Tiberias: Regional and urban lines once operated by Egged.
Yavne: Urban bus services formerly run by Egged.
Lod: Urban and intercity routes to Tel Aviv; previously under Egged.
Bnei Brak: Intercity buses servicing Jerusalem; formerly operated by the Dan Bus Company.

In 2012, Denis Gasquet, Veolia’s senior executive vice president, reported annual revenues of approximately 1.5 billion shekels from Israeli operations after two decades of investment. He highlighted Veolia’s robust market presence and noted that their dedication to Israel had prevented any tender losses while maintaining profitability despite various challenges.

Following operational handover to Veolia Transdev, Modi'in bus services were sold to Kavim in July 2013. The remaining routes were subsequently transferred to Afikim in September 2013.

Lebanon

Connex managed school bus transportation within a 40 km perimeter of Beirut for the Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais located in Achrafieh, Beirut. The fleet included vehicles such as TEMSA Prestij buses, Nissan Civilian buses, and Nissan Urvan vans. This service was under Veolia Transportation from 1998 until 2008, after which it continued operating with the Connex name and logo intact.

Australia

Connex underwent rebranding to Veolia in January 2006 to align with its French parent company’s identity; all branding was updated accordingly except for Connex Melbourne. The Australian operations reported revenues exceeding A$635 million.

Brisbane, Queensland: Veolia took over the National Bus Company’s operations in September 2004, operating as Veolia Transport Brisbane.
Melbourne, Victoria: Connex Melbourne managed half of Melbourne’s suburban rail network initially, and from 2004 operated the entire system until the contract concluded in November 2009.
Perth, Western Australia: In 2004, Veolia acquired Southern Coast Transit from the National Bus Company.
Sydney, New South Wales:
- Veolia operated commuter bus routes in southern and south-western Sydney under the name Veolia Transport NSW, previously known as Connex Southtrans and Connex NSW, following the acquisition of Southtrans in 1999.
- Since August 1998, Veolia Transport Sydney managed Sydney’s monorail and light rail networks on behalf of Metro Transport Sydney, initially under CGEA Transport Sydney, holding a 51% stake in the monorail between 1998 and 2001.

Apart from Connex Melbourne, Veolia’s Australian businesses were integrated into Veolia Transdev, forming part of the Australasian arm Transdev Australasia, alongside Veolia Auckland and former Transdev operations.

From August 2001 through 2003, Connex held a 50% ownership in West Coast Railway, which operated services between Melbourne and Warrnambool.

New Caledonia

Nouméa: Since February 2002, Veolia has been operating the suburban bus system under the Carsud brand.

New Zealand

Auckland: Veolia Transport Auckland provided commuter rail services in collaboration with Auckland Transport. The brand transitioned from Connex to Veolia in March 2006 and later merged into Transdev Australasia following consolidation with Veolia Transdev and historic Transdev Australian entities.

North America

Veolia Transportation served as Veolia Transport’s division for North America and was renamed Transdev North America in 2014 after being transferred to Transdev.

Canada

In April 2005, Veolia won the contract to operate bus rapid transit services in Toronto’s York Region under the VIVA brand, integrated with the fare system of York Region Transit. Additionally, Veolia managed transit operations within Greater Montreal, including:

United States

Connex entered the U.S. market in 2001 by acquiring Yellow Transportation based in Baltimore. In 2005, Connex expanded by purchasing ATC from National Express, becoming North America’s largest private public transit operator. Renamed Veolia Transportation in 2006, it further grew through acquisitions like ShuttlePort and secured contracts including:

Antelope Valley Transit Authority, Los Angeles County, California
Gwinnett County Transit, Atlanta suburb, Georgia
Capital MetroRail, Austin, Texas (experienced delays due to unauthorized train testing)
Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad (MBCR), managing Boston’s MBTA commuter rail (2003–2014)
Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), South Carolina
Charm City Circulator, Downtown Baltimore (initiated service in 2010)
Regional Transportation District (RTD), Denver, Colorado
Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA), North Carolina
RTC Transit, Las Vegas (contract concluded July 2013)
Metrolink commuter rail, Los Angeles (operated from 2005 to 2010; contract ended following a fatal collision linked to operator error)
Tri-Rail commuter system serving Miami metropolitan area, Florida (contract awarded in 2007)
Vine Transit, Napa County, California
Nassau Inter-County Express (formerly Long Island Bus), New York (contract commenced January 2012)
Selected New Jersey Transit bus routes in Monmouth County, New Jersey
New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, Louisiana (contract awarded in 2008)
Valley Metro bus network serving Phoenix metropolitan area, Arizona
Redding Area Bus Authority, California
Yolobus serving Yolo County near Sacramento, California
San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus routes and SPRINTER DMU rail line, California
Victor Valley Transit Authority covering Victorville area, California

By 2005, Veolia employed more than 16,000 personnel across North America with a fleet comprising approximately 6,500 vehicles and annual revenues surpassing $1 billion. The division was headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois under CEO Mark Joseph.

Additionally, Veolia owned SuperShuttle shared-ride airport shuttle services and ExecuCar black car services while operating taxicab services nationwide under various brand names.

Chile

Santiago: Veolia was the proprietor of Redbus Urbano, which provided feeder routes connecting to the Metro and "Troncales" in northern Santiago. This service was subsequently handed over to Transdev.

Colombia

Bogotá: Together with three additional operators, Veolia oversaw the 90 km TransMilenio bus rapid transit network, catering to more than 1.4 million passengers each day. This agreement has since been transferred to Transdev.