Rhonexpress

What Rhonexpress does

Rhônexpress is an airport express tram service operating between Lyon Part-Dieu city center and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport in France, with intermediate stops at Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie and Meyzieu ZI. Founded in 2007 and operated under SYTRAL Mobilités — the Lyon metropolitan public transport authority — the service runs 365 days a year from 4:25 AM to midnight with departures every 15 minutes during peak hours and a guaranteed travel time of under 30 minutes across its corridor. The platform features 60 on-board attendants, free WiFi, electrical outlets, luggage storage racks, real-time flight and train information displays, and accessibility features including level boarding and assistance for passengers with reduced mobility. Differentiating operational elements include a "Guarantee Punctuality" automated compensation system (50% refund for delays over 10 minutes, 100% refund for delays over 20 minutes), a 96% customer satisfaction rate achieved in 2023, and 29x lower CO2 emissions versus car travel for the equivalent journey.

The company's revenue model is based primarily on individual ticket sales distributed through multiple channels — website, mobile application (iOS/Android), self-service ticket machines at stations, and on-board attendant sales — with channel-based pricing differentials (online tickets priced up to 24% cheaper than machines). Standard one-way tickets are priced at €16 online / €17.10 at machines, with round trips at €28, youth fares (12-25 years) at €10.50 one-way, 10-journey bundles at €140, and advance-purchase discounts up to 28% for bookings made 1-2 months ahead. Additional revenue streams include subscription-based commuter passes for airport platform personnel (7-day unlimited for €20.60, 31-day for €68.40, eligible for the Prime Transport employer subsidy), corporate business accounts with centralized billing, Lyon City Card tourist packages bundled with TCL public transport access, and SNCF train connection tickets for intermodal passengers.

Rhônexpress serves four primary customer segments: air travelers (primary segment; ~1.38 million annual riders), airport platform personnel (subsidized commuter base), tourists (via Only Lyon tourism partnerships), and corporate/business travelers (via enterprise accounts). Key ecosystem partners include SYTRAL Mobilités as governing authority and parent organization, SNCF (20% of users connect with SNCF trains at the Saint-Exupéry TGV station), TCL Lyon's urban transit network (60% of users also use TCL services during their journey, with connections at Part-Dieu, Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie, and Meyzieu ZI), Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport as primary destination partner, and Only Lyon tourism for combined ticket packages. Distribution is omnichannel across digital (own website and app), self-service kiosks, on-board attendant sales, and partner resellers through the Partner Club program.

Name

Rhonexpress

Legal name

Rhônexpress

Website

https://rhonexpress.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Rhônexpress is an airport express tram service connecting Lyon Part-Dieu city center to Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport in France, serving 1.38+ million passengers annually with departures every 15 minutes and a guaranteed under-30-minute travel time.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airport Rail Transit

NAICS

Taxi and Limousine Service (4853)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Airport Transfer Services (Meet-and-Greet, Fixed-Route) (THADAEAG)

Keywords

• Airport rail transit
• Express tram service
• Passenger transportation
• Airport shuttle rail
• Urban rail mobility

Headquarters

HQ city

Meyzieu

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Ticket Sales: Direct ticket sales to individual passengers through multiple channels: online website, mobile application, self-service ticket machines at stations, and on-board purchases from attendants
2. Airport Staff Tickets: Discounted ticket programs for airport platform employees with special rates on single tickets, return tickets, and multi-trip passes (7-day, 31-day, 40-trip bundles)
3. Package Deals: Combined ticket products pairing Rhônexpress journeys with Lyon City Card for tourists, including TCL public transport access
4. Train Connection Tickets: Special discounted tickets for passengers with valid train reservations departing from or arriving at Lyon Saint-Exupéry station
5. Corporate Accounts: Business accounts enabling companies to manage and pay for employee travel with centralized billing, eliminating advance expenses and simplifying expense reporting

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rhônexpress operates a dedicated express tram line (rhônexpress) running between Lyon Part-Dieu station and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport, with intermediate stops at Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie and Meyzieu ZI. The service carries over 1.38 million passengers annually, runs every 15 minutes, completes the journey in under 30 minutes at speeds up to 100 km/h, and is sold as a ticketed airport shuttle service to travelers and commuters in the Lyon metropolitan area.

Product overview

Rhônexpress is a dedicated airport express tram service operated by SYTRAL Mobilités, providing fast rail connections between Lyon city center (Part-Dieu station) and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport with intermediate stops at Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie and Meyzieu ZI. The core offering is the Rhônexpress tram service, supplemented by a comprehensive range of ticket products including standard single/round-trip tickets, multi-journey packages, advance purchase discounts, Lyon City Card combination packages, train connection fares, and special airport staff tickets. Additional services include a mobile application for iOS and Android, business account management for corporate clients, and a partner club program for resellers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single One-Way Ticket (rhônexpress)

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% customer satisfaction rate achieved in 2023 on a base of 1,380,000+ annual travelers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SYTRAL MobilitéscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic transport authority that owns, manages, and organizes the Rhônexpress service. SYTRAL Mobilités is the sole structure in France organizing all urban and interurban transport services at this scale, delegating operation to private operators under public service delegation contracts or public procurement.
• Only LyonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Lyon tourism brand offering combined packages with Rhônexpress and Lyon City Card for visitors. Partnership enables tourists to purchase integrated transport and tourism access tickets.
• Lyon-Saint-Exupéry AirportcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary destination partner providing Rhônexpress with over 20% of its clientele through on-site visibility and advertising (JCDecaux concessions). Airport serves as the terminus for the Rhônexpress line.
• SNCFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRail network partner where 20% of Rhônexpress users connect with SNCF trains before or after their journey. The Rhônexpress station at Saint-Exupéry also serves the TGV station, enabling multimodal journeys.
• TCL (Transport en Commun Lyonnais)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLyon public transport network managed by SYTRAL. 60% of Rhônexpress users have or will use the TCL network during their journey. TCL connections available at all Rhônexpress stations including Part-Dieu, Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie, and Meyzieu ZI.
• JCDecauxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOutdoor advertising company managing concessions in 26 French airports including Lyon-Saint-Exupéry. JCDecaux advertising displays in the airport capture over 20% of Rhônexpress clientele according to a November 2018 survey.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Transdev: Large French-headquartered multimodal public transport operator with significant airport transfer and regional rail exposure. Comparable in mobility services and concession model, but diversified across many geographies and modes.
• Keolis: Major French and global public transport operator (subsidiary of SNCF) that operates and bids on airport/metro/rail concessions. Comparable in mode and concession-based business, but operates across a far broader portfolio than Rhônexpress.

Direct peers

• Gatwick Express: London Victoria ↔ Gatwick Airport dedicated express rail service. Comparable non-stop airport shuttle product with similar fare and frequency structure to Rhônexpress.
• Arlanda Express: Stockholm Central ↔ Arlanda Airport dedicated express train. Premium-priced, high-frequency airport express — direct functional peer in Nordic market.
• Flytoget: Oslo Sentral ↔ Oslo Gardermoen Airport dedicated airport express rail. Operates with similar short-headway, premium fare structure to Rhônexpress.
• Narita Express: Tokyo ↔ Narita Airport dedicated express train operated by JR East. Comparable airport express service with premium pricing on a single airport corridor.
• Heathrow Express: London Paddington ↔ Heathrow dedicated airport express rail. Operates as a premium fare, high-frequency airport shuttle with no intermediate stops — essentially the same business model as Rhônexpress at larger scale.
• CDG Express: Planned dedicated express rail link between Paris Gare de l'Est and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Same product category as Rhônexpress (airport express rail) on a much larger scale, making it the most relevant aspirational comparator.
• Orlyval: Paris Orly airport automated transfer service operating between Antony RER and Orly Terminals. The closest French analog to Rhônexpress: a dedicated, short-headway airport express on a single corridor.
• KLIA Express: Kuala Lumpur city center ↔ KLIA airport dedicated express rail. Same single-corridor airport express model with comparable journey-time promise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rhonexpress
• Facebookfr-fr.facebook.com/RhonexpressOfficiel
• Instagraminstagram.com/rhonexpress_officiel

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhonexpress