Keolis Norge Explained

Keolis Norge AS
Former Name:Fjord1 Partner AS
Type:Aksjeselskap
Industry:Public transport
Founded:Bergen, Norway
Hq Location City:Bergen
Hq Location Country:Norway
Parent:Keolis Nordic AB

Keolis Norge is the Norwegian subsidiary of Keolis, holding the contract to operate the Bergen Light Rail and the Bergen Sentrum bus contract for Skyss.

History

The company was established in 2008 as Fjord1 Partner AS, a joint venture between Fjord1 Nordvestlandske (49%) and Keolis Nordic AB (51%), a Keolis holding company for its Nordic operations, with the goal of bidding for the Bergen Light Rail contract and other PSO contracts for bus transport in the Bergen area.[1]

The contract was announced on 2 April 2009, after Fjord1 Partner had beaten NSB, Tide Bane (Tide with HTM Personenvervoer) and Veolia Transport Bane for the contract.[2] The infrastructure and the Variobahn vehicles are owned by Vestland Fylkeskommune, while the operation subsidies are managed by Skyss, a county agency responsible for all public transport subsidies in Vestland.

In 2014, Fjord1 sold their shares to Keolis, and the company changed its name to Keolis Norge AS.[3]

In June 2019, the company was awarded the tender for driving buses in the route area Bergen Sentrum, starting on 1 December 2020. This includes driving amongst other vehicles 112 electric buses, of which 102 battery buses from Yutong and ten trolley buses from Solaris.[4] [5]

On September 6, 2022, DSD AS, the owner of Tide Buss, announced they would buy out all shares and take over the running of all their contracts, leaving Keolis Norge defunct. [6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Årsrapport 2008. Fjord1. https://web.archive.org/web/20120505150143/http://www.fjord1.no/filesystem/2009/05/arsrapport_2008_1561.pdf. 29 April 2009. 5 May 2012.
  2. Web site: Concordia skal køyre buss i Nordhordland. Skyss. 31 October 2008. 22 January 2016. 1 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160201090701/https://www.skyss.no/globalassets/pressemeldinger/pm_skyss_bussanbud_nordhordland_20081031.pdf. dead.
  3. Web site: Fjord1 Partner in Bergen becomes Keolis Norge, a 100% subsidiary of Keolis SA. Keolis. en. 30 April 2014. 22 January 2016. 27 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160127214912/http://www.keolis.com/en/media-centre/news/news-in-detail/article/fjord1-partner-in-bergen.html. dead.
  4. Web site: Keolis vant Bergen Sentrum. Bussmagasinet. 17 June 2019. 10 December 2020.
  5. Web site: Historisk med 112 elbussar i Bergen. Vestland fylkeskommune. 1 December 2020. 10 December 2020.
  6. Web site: DSD, eier av Tide, kjøper buss- og bybaneselskapet Keolis i Norge .