SINGAPORE: On July 18, ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited (ComfortDelGro) announced that it was awarded a contract to operate rail services in Paris. This is the first time the firm has won such a contract, as well as a first for a company in Singapore.
The firm was awarded the contract via ComfortDelGro Transit (CDGT), its subsidiary. Two years ago, in its first overseas foray, ComfortDelGro was awarded a contract to operate rail services in Auckland, New Zealand.
French transport authority Île-de-France Mobilités (IdFM) announced the contract awarding to ORA, an international consortium made up of ComfortDelGro, and French firms RATP Dev and Alstom.
“ORA will operate and maintain metro services across 16 stations, passing through 22 cities, over 33 kilometres. With an expected daily ridership of 390,000, it will be the first of the GPE projects to commence passenger service by the end of 2025,” ComfortDelGro wrote in its statement.
The three companies in the consortium have 88 years of combined experience in rail operations and maintenance on a global scale.
ORA was awarded a contract to operate the South sector of Line 15, which is part of the 200-km Grand Paris Express (GPE) greenfield metro programme in the Paris region and is for a period of six years, with the option to extend another nine years.
“At ComfortDelGro, one of our key strengths lies in providing a delightful and inclusive commuting experience for our customers. We are therefore pleased to contribute our expertise in partnership with RATP Dev and Alstom to deliver a safe, reliable and caring commuting experience to the residents of the Île-de-France region,” said Mr Cheng Siak Kian. ComfortDelGro’s Managing Director and Group CEO.
Additionally, Mr Cheng announced news closer to Singaporeans’ hearts.
“We, through our subsidiary, SBS Transit, are also collaborating with RATP Dev to bid for the upcoming Jurong Region Line and the Cross Island Line in Singapore. Leveraging RATP Dev’s international expertise, we will, for instance, jointly create localised solutions where the transfer of technology and competencies will further strengthen our rail reliability and promote local rail engineering capabilities. We are excited by the opportunity to elevate our world-class metro services to the next level through this partnership.”
/TISG