Development
Significant milestones in the Île-de-France region, France, and abroad
Lyon, Bayonne, Quimper, Caen, Singapore, Riyadh... In 2024, several additional transport authorities chose to entrust the management of their transport networks to RATP Group. These developments demonstrate the trust that local authorities place in our teams' ability to work together with them to create the mobility solutions that best fit their needs.
Once again this year, the Group's teams have leveraged their expertise and demonstrated their proficiency in all aspects of public transport, ensuring the success of the projects entrusted to them in the Île-de-France region, across France, and internationally. From designing a future network, launching new tram or autonomous metro lines, extending or upgrading existing lines without disrupting passenger service, adapting infrastructure to accommodate new rolling stock, to restructuring bus networks to offer a more decarbonised service better suited to user needs, they are as efficient in each area.
A key player in urban rail systems
In 2024, the Grand Paris Express project reached a significant milestone: the Group commissioned the north and south extensions to metro line 14, the backbone of the future network. Completed on schedule ahead of the Paris 2024 Games - along with the extensions to metro line 11 and tram line T3b - these extensions were completed without major disruption to passenger service, and came with a complete upgrade of all operational systems on this pioneering automated metro line, which was inaugurated in 1998.
The Group has proven expertise across the entire value chain of automated metro systems (design, operation, maintenance, upgrading, extension, and others) and, more broadly, in urban rail systems (metro, rail lines, trams, and funiculars), which is implemented and deployed in many parts of the world. This is demonstrated by RATP Dev's successful commissioning of two fully automated metro lines in Riyadh, the launch of two new tram lines in Casablanca, and the renewal of RATP Dev's key role as upstream operator for the future automated metro in Belgrade.
In France, SYTRAL Mobilités, the transport authority for the greater Lyon area, chose RATP Dev to operate and maintain its four metro lines, all tram lines, both funicular lines, and Lyon's airport shuttle link. On the other side of the world, Singapore selected SBS Transit in partnership with RATP Dev to operate the Jurong Region Line, the seventh metro line in the nation-city.
RATP Group in Lyon:
A 10-year operation and maintenance contract
4 metro lines, 2 of which are automated, on a 70-km network
7 tram lines, on a 71-km network
2 ropeway lines
The Rhônexpress airport shuttle link, over 13 km
1,600 employees integrated into the Group's workforce, with preserved and improved social benefits
The operation and maintenance of a new river shuttle service in collaboration with Yachts de Lyon starting in June 2025 (560,000 journeys expected per year)
Arnaud Legrand
Director of RATP Dev Lyon
4 questions to Arnaud Legrand
How is winning the contract in Lyon such an important victory?
It’s a major victory, because the TCL network is the second largest network in France, with 519 million journeys made in 2024. Also, whether we are talking about the large volume of services with which the city’s residents are provided, the number of projects to be rolled out over the next ten years, particularly on the metro and tram networks, or its technical complexity, we must guarantee a very high level of service.
What tipped the balance in favour of RATP Dev when it came to making the choice?
Throughout the tender process, we carefully listened to SYTRAL Mobilités and blended in with their identity and culture. This constructive and collaborative approach has enabled us to build the future of heavy rail operations in the Lyon metropolitan area in a concrete way. In addition, we are putting all our industrial power and know-how at the service of SYTRAL Mobilités, to support the major changes being driven by SYTRAL Mobilités.
What assets does RATP Dev have to successfully carry out this new mission?
In addition to our commitment to continuous improvement in service quality, we have undertaken to transform our subsidiary into a company with a mission from the first half of 2026.
We support the Lyon metropolitan area as it implements an ambitious transport policy to promote development that combines social and environmental considerations. The entire organisation of our subsidiary will revolve around this purpose, established with the help of all our employees.
What does winning this contract tell us about RATP Group and how it is perceived by transport authorities, in Lyon and elsewhere in the world? Winning this contract confirms our ability to share with each region the expertise acquired in Paris and our experience throughout the world. It demonstrates our ability to respond to local needs and to work with all stakeholders (transport authorities, elected representatives, passengers, local players, partners) to design fully customised solutions.
A major tram operator in the Île-de-France region
RATP Cap Île-de-France won the operation and maintenance of the tram line T12 (20.4 km connecting Massy to Évry-Courcouronnes), and tram line T13 (18.8 km, from Saint-Germain-en-Laye to Saint-Cyr). The subsidiary's success reinforces the Group's central role, as it now operates 11 out of the 13 tram lines in the Île-de-France region.
In South Africa
As part of the tender for the renewal of the Gautrain concession, the rail line linking Johannesburg and Pretoria, RATP Dev has formed a new local consortium, "Sihamba Sonke Mobility", bringing together industry leaders including GIBB-Crede, Alstom, and African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) to support the development of South Africa's rail sector.
More buses!
The Group has significantly strengthened its presence in the bus sector, notably in France, with several successful bids in 2024 that included the Basque Country, Caen, Bayonne, Narbonne, Brive, Saintes, and Quimper. Through our subsidiaries, we are establishing long-term trust-based relationships with local authorities and transport organisations. This builds on our expertise in the operation of bus networks, notably in densely populated areas, and our proficiency in all relevant skills in this highly flexible and urban transport mode. As an example, Ardenne Métropole has renewed its trust in RATP Dev with a 7.5-year extension to our contract for the operation and maintenance of the TAC bus network, which the Group has been running since 2012. The target for 2031: 2.7 million annual passengers. In the United States, after a successful first venture in Winston Salem (North Carolina) in May 2024, RATP Dev was awarded the management of Visalia's transport system in California in September, marking its largest contract in the state.
Opening of the Paris bus network to competition
At the end of 2024, Île-de-France Mobilités awarded the first three lots as part of the opening of the capital region's bus lines to competition: RATP Cap Île-de-France, the subsidiary responsible for developing the Group's operations in the Île-de-France area, was selected for the two lots covering highly dense areas in Paris' inner suburbs. The following lots will be awarded in 2025.
The first successes for RATP Cap Île-de-France are:
winning two of the first three lots covering very densely populated areas in the inner suburbs of Paris;
lot 42 with operational bus depots at Pleyel and Asnières;
lot 45 with operational bus depts in Neuilly-Plaisance, Saint-Maur, and Neuilly-sur-Marne;
600 buses in total;
50 bus routes in total, including 7 night routes and 3 new routes to be created.
Xavier Lety
Chairman, RATP Cap Île-de-France
4 questions to Xavier Lety
What does winning the first two lots of the Île-de-France bus network represent for RATP Cap-Île-de-France?
RATP Cap Île-de-France’s winning the first two lots as part of the opening to competition is genuine recognition of RATP Group's expertise in operating and maintaining transport networks in ultra-dense urban environments.
What advantages does RATP have with regard to winning the upcoming lots in 2025?
Our main assets are our experience in Paris and its inner suburbs, our operational excellence, our in-depth knowledge of needs in the region, and the know-how acquired and shared by RATP Dev and its long-standing experience in public service delegation contracts.
How is the opening of the Île-de-France region to competition affecting RATP Group's development?
First and foremost, the opening to competition requires us to maintain an irreproachable level of excellence, our ambition being to remain the benchmark transport operator in the Île-de-France region. It also provides new opportunities for development, both within our historic perimeter and in a wider area of the Île-de-France region, notably in rail transport. It represents a decisive step in the Group's development.
What are the dynamics regarding the tram mode?
In 2024, Île-de-France Mobilités and SNCF Réseau awarded us the contract to operate, maintain, and service the T12 and T13 tram-trains. This new contract will enable RATP Group to consolidate its position as the leading tram operator in the Île-de-France region, with the operation of lines T1, T2, T3a, T3b, T5, T6, T7, T8, T10 and soon, tram-trains T12 and T13.
Saintes: more soft mobility options
In February 2024, RATP Dev won the contract to operate and maintain the BUSS network (buses, demand-responsive transport, soft mobility, and more) for Saintes Grandes Rives, l'Agglo (the local public transport authority). The goal is to improve overall service, and expand the supply of electric bike rentals, in order to encourage passengers to limit car usage.
The new contract won by RATP Dev in Brive in September 2024 is...
- a bus network serving 48 communes;
- an emphasis on intermodality, with more lines serving the SNCF station;
- an offer that needs to be rethought, with increasing service to a number of employment and residential areas;
- a transport-on-demand service to be developed;
- a car-sharing offer to be set up;
- a car-sharing service;
- 100% of regular routes operated by electric, BioNGV or B100 buses by 2031.
Frédéric Soulier, chairman of the Brive agglomeration
“With this new contract, the Brive urban area is strengthening its offer in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Residents will notably benefit from a much-improved transport-on-demand service covering the 48 municipalities in the agglomeration".
Caen and Quimper: Decarbonisation and Accessibility
In July 2024, the Quimper Bretagne Occidentale community entrusted RATP Dev with the management of its QUB transport network: 20 bus routes, an electric shuttle service in the city centre, 34 school bus routes, services for people with reduced mobility (PRM), demand-responsive transport, and a bike rental service.
In September 2024, the Caen La Mer urban community awarded RATP Dev the operation and maintenance of its Twisto mobility network: 3 tram lines, 72 bus routes, services for people with reduced mobility (PRM), demand-responsive transport, and soft mobility options.
A mobility network to be rethought in Caen, with...
- future optimisation of transit times;
- a new bus service to be created to serve the coast;
- more intermodality, particularly with rail;
- a transport-on-demand service to be rolled out in four new areas;
- open payment to be introduced from 2026 on buses and trams;
- the deployment of new cycle parks.
- a more ambitious overhaul of the network from 2028, with:
. the creation of a new tram line (T4) and the extension of the current T3 line;
. new bus routes, with a focus on intermodality;
. the reinforcement of school routes;
. new rollouts of Vélolib and Twisto Auto stations.
Did you know ?
20% increase in expected production per kilometre by increasing services on the coastal section of the Txik Txak network (bus and tram-bus) in the Basque Country region, as part of the public service delegation awarded to RATP Dev.
Serge Reynaud, executive director, RATP DEV France and Switzerland
"RATP Dev had an exceptional year in France in 2024. Over and above the immense challenge of winning the Lyon contract, we were able to convince the elected representatives of the local authorities in Caen, Narbonne, Brive, Saintes, Quimper, and Charleville-Mézières to place their trust in us. Drawing on RATP Group’s expertise, RATP Dev has been offering solutions to improve mobility in France and around the world for 20 years.
Casablanca: Bus Rapid Transit
A long-standing partner of Casa Transport - Casablanca's transport authority - since 2012, RATP Dev now operates two new tram lines (T3 and T4) in Morocco's economic capital city, as well as two new bus rapid transit (BRT) routes.
The successful launch of CasaBusway in Casablanca is...
- 2 new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes operated by RATP Dev;
- a network of 42 stations accessible to PRMs, with connections to the tramway network;
- a frequency of 5 min 30 during rush hour, allowing faster journey times;
- efficient bus engines that reduce energy consumption and meet the city's environmental commitments;
- renewed confidence in RATP Dev, which has already been operating the tram network since 2012. The network was completed in 2024 with the opening of lines T3 and T4.
Nabil Belabed, chief executive, Casa Transport
"Fast, accessible, and environmentally friendly, the new CasaBusway service completes our city's public transport offering by adding two exclusive right-of-way lines to the existing tramway network. The aim is to make urban travel easier through this combined offer. Thanks to our long-term partnership with RATP Dev Casablanca, we can provide our residents with safe, secure, high-quality, and fluid urban transport".