Skip to main content

Keolis Downer opens light rail in Newcastle, Australia

Keolis Downer has started operating a light rail service in the Australian city of Newcastle, which will serve as part of a multimodal transport network. The Australian subsidiary of Keolis was awarded the multimodal contract in 2016. It covers the operations and maintenance of the light rail service as well as buses and ferries for a ten-year period. In 2017, the company started operating the bus and ferry services and a year later introduced a real-time, on-demand transport service, powered by Via, a
February 22, 2019 Read time: 1 min

6546 Keolis Downer has started operating a light rail service in the Australian city of Newcastle, which will serve as part of a multimodal transport network.

The Australian subsidiary of Keolis was awarded the multimodal contract in 2016. It covers the operations and maintenance of the light rail service as well as buses and ferries for a ten-year period. In 2017, the company started operating the bus and ferry services and a year later introduced a real-time, on-demand transport service, powered by Via, a developer of shared ride technology.

Keolis Downer says it has now completed the light rail and is operating the service on behalf of Transport for New South Wales.

The 2.7km long network features six stations and runs between Wickham and Pacific Park while also connecting with existing bus and ferry services.

Related Content

  • December 16, 2016
    Video analytics enhances urban rail safety
    David Crawford explores some promising innovations for North American commuters. North America is experiencing a surge in commuter rail and metro development. The US now has 75 light rail and metro networks in operation; and California, in particular, is actively exploring ways of developing the state’s existing passenger rail operations into a fully integrated system.
  • September 26, 2019
    Singapore aims to set MaaS benchmark
    Delegates at this year’s ITS World Congress in Singapore will be able to experience Mobility as a Service for themselves in the form of MobilityX’s Zipster app
  • January 20, 2012
    Home based real time travel information drives reduction in car use
    David Crawford investigates a new approach to discouraging car use - the 'kitchen as travel centre'. ITS technology working together with UK planning legislation is driving an innovative 'kitchen as travel centre' approach to home design which is boosting public transport as an alternative to car use. The combination is already proving powerful enough to assuage environmentalist opposition to major urban developments. It is also being seen as a way of delivering wider social and community benefits inside an
  • June 26, 2013
    Mexico City opts for Indra public transport management
    Mexico City is to benefit from the latest public transport management technology, thanks to a contract recently awarded to Spanish consultancy and technology company Indra. The contract, valued at US$20.8 million, covers the supply, installation and commissioning of Indra’s comprehensive Operations Assistance System (OAS) for the city’s Metrobús system, together with technical support and maintenance for a period of ten years. The 95 km system has 151 stations and carries over 800,000 passengers per day.