Sweden: Keolis to Operate Alternative Energy Buses in Uppsala
- On 11 May 2021, Keolis was awarded a new contract by the public transport administration Uppsala to operate a large fleet of alternative energy buses.
- Worth approximately €540 million, this nine-year contract gives Keolis responsibility to operate and maintain a completely new bus fleet running on biogas and biodiesel from June 2022.
- The new contract grows Keolis’ footprint in Sweden, where it has been operating alternative energy urban bus networks since 2003.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with the public transport administration Uppsala and contribute to a more environmentally-friendly quality of life by providing sustainable mobility solutions and best-in-class services to the county's residents and visitors.”
On 11 May 2021, Keolis Sverige, Keolis’ subsidiary in Sweden, was awarded a new alternative energy bus contract, worth approximately 540 million euros, in the Swedish county of Uppsala by the public transport administation Uppsala. The contract, which takes effect in June 2022 and is valid for a period of nine years, awards Keolis responsibility for operating and maintaining a fleet that runs entirely on biogas and biodiesel.
A Network Serving over 380,000 Residents North of Stockholm
The bus network in Uppsala county, located 70 km north of Stockholm, features 71 lines and 2,800 stops connecting the county’s three main cities, Uppsala, Enköping and Bålsta. A special bus service to and from the academic hospital in Uppsala will also be introduced, featuring six buses equipped with toilets, wheelchair spaces, defibrillators and lock-boxes for the safe transportation of laboratory samples. The drivers in charge of transport to and from the hospital will undergo special training.
Keolis will purchase the entire bus fleet, which it will operate and maintain in ten different depots1.
Recent Successes for Keolis in Sweden
The contract win in Uppsala county follows that of Keolis’ first all-electric bus contract in Gothenburg, awarded on 16 April 2021 by Västraffik, the public transport authority of Gothenburg. The contract, which also takes effect in June 2022, covers the operation of the city’s bus network featuring a fleet of fully electric articulated buses carrying 17 million passengers per year on two lines and covering 2.9 million kilometres annually.
Since January 2021, Keolis has also been testing an autonomous electric shuttle service, manufactured by Navya, in Gothenburg’s Lindholmen Industrial and Science park.
In 2020, Keolis joined forces with partners in Stockholm for the remote control and supervision of autonomous electric vehicles using 5G technology.
Keolis Sverige has been present in Sweden since 2003 and operates 1,600 fossil-free buses in four Swedish counties, covering 100 million kilometres every year. Keolis has over 4,500 employees in Sweden.
Supporting the PTAs to Meet the Energy Transition Challenge
Keolis is committed to embracing more environmentally-friendly forms of mobility. To do so, the company continues to advise and accompany its PTA partners in developing and deploying clean bus fleets running on electricity, natural gas, biogas, hydrogen and other alternative energy sources that are better for the environment and for public health.
Keolis’ global footprint in alternative energy bus operations includes the Netherlands, where the Group launched Europe’s largest e-bus fleet in December 2020, Norway, France, the US and Canada.
In total, the Keolis Group operates approximately 4,000 vehicles worldwide running on alternative energy, representing about 20% of its bus fleet.
- 1 – Fyrislund, Enköping, Östhammar, Tierp, Bålsta, Heby, knutby, Skutskär, Österbybruk and Östervåla
This article was originally published by Keolis.
