Veolia Transport Nederland
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transport |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Defunct | December 2016 |
| Fate | Operations merged into Connexxion |
Area served | Netherlands |
| Products | Bus, train, ferry services |
| Parent | Transdev Netherlands |
Veolia Transport Nederland represented one of the two Transdev entities operating within the Netherlands, delivering services across bus, train, and ferry transport modes. As a division of Transdev Netherlands, it discontinued its activities in December 2016, with its remaining routes being absorbed and rebranded under Connexxion, another subsidiary within Transdev Netherlands.
History
The entry of CGEA Transport into the Dutch transportation sector occurred in 1997 through acquiring a 70% share in the rail operator Lovers Rail. This company managed seasonal routes such as the Kennemerstrand Express connecting Amsterdam to IJmuiden and the Keukenhof Express serving Amsterdam to Lisse. In 1998, it introduced the Spaarne Express, linking Amsterdam to Haarlem. All these services concluded by 1999.
Growth for Veolia Transport Nederland included purchasing bus operators BBA, Limex, and Stadsbus Maastricht, initially maintaining their original branding. Its freight division, Veolia Cargo Nederland BV, managed cargo trains but was divested to SNCF Geodis in 2009.
By the year 2012, Veolia Transport Nederland's portfolio encompassed urban and regional bus lines, the ferry route between Vlissingen and Breskens, along with rail connections in Limburg, notably linking Maastricht to Kerkrade and Roermond to Nijmegen.
After the merger of Veolia Transport with Transdev in March 2011, both Veolia Transport Nederland and Connexxion came under unified ownership following authorization by the Netherlands Competition Authority. Despite this shared ownership, they continued independent operations until June 2015 when management was consolidated under Transdev Netherlands. Upon the conclusion of the Limburg concession on 11 December 2016, all remaining services transitioned to the Connexxion brand.
Operations
| Name | Former Operator | Successor Operator | Bus Routes (Primary Locations) | Rail Lines | Ferry Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gelderland/Veluwe | BBA | Syntus | Apeldoorn (central hub), Harderwijk, Amersfoort, Ede, Wageningen, Zwolle | ||
| Limburg | Hermes, Limex, Stadsbus Maastricht | Arriva | Maastricht, Heerlen, Roermond, Venlo, Kerkrade | Heuvellandlijn (Maastricht - Valkenburg - Heerlen - Kerkrade) Maaslijn (Nijmegen - Venlo - Roermond) |
|
| North Brabant | BBA, Hermes | Arriva | Tilburg, Breda, Bergen op Zoom | ||
| South Holland | Connexxion | Connexxion | The Hague, Delft, Zoetermeer, Wassenaar | ||
| Zeeland | Connexxion | Connexxion | Zeelandic Flanders | Vlissingen - Breskens (Veolia Transport Fast Ferries) |