Keolis Nord

What Keolis Nord does

Keolis Nord is a French regional passenger transport operator headquartered in Comines, with operations across four sites in the Lille metropolitan area. It is a subsidiary of Keolis Group (itself majority-owned by SNCF), forming part of a six-company Keolis cluster in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. The company runs a fleet of 228 vehicles and employs 377 staff to deliver urban bus services, on-demand transport, regional lines, and rail substitution (TER substitution) operations.

Its core product is the operation of 21 lines on the ilévia public transport network — representing approximately 80% of ilévia's subcontracted lines — alongside contractual services for the Hauts-de-France Regional Council and TER Hauts-de-France. A secondary commercial line operates under the Keolis Voyages brand, providing Grand Touring Coach services for private group travel. The business model combines public service delegation contracts (B2G) with smaller B2B/B2C charter activity; revenue is generated per service-kilometer delivered under multi-year frameworks, with cost structures dominated by driver wages, fuel/energy, fleet maintenance, and allocated group overhead from Keolis. Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) services are positioned as a key internal capability supporting tender competitiveness.

Name

Keolis Nord

Legal name

Keolis Nord

Website

https://keolisnord.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Keolis Nord is a French regional passenger transport subsidiary of Keolis Group (SNCF) operating 21 ilévia bus lines, TER rail substitution, regional services, and Keolis Voyages coach travel across four sites near Lille.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Bus and Coach Transportation Services

NAICS

Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (485210), Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (485), Charter Bus Industry (48551), School and Employee Bus Transportation (48541)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Intercity Bus Franchises/Concessionaires (Public Service Contracts) (THAIADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intercity Coach Fleet Operations & Management Contractors (TLAFAFAJ), Economy/Conventional Scheduled Intercity Bus Services (THAIADAE), Cross-Border/International Scheduled Coach Operators (THAIADAC)

Keywords

• Public bus transport
• Urban transit operations
• Regional passenger transport
• Coach charter services
• School transport services

Headquarters

HQ city

Comines

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Transport Contracts: Revenue is generated through long-term contracts with public transport authorities (ilévia for Lille metropolitan area, Hauts-de-France regional council, TER Hauts-de-France). These contracts cover the operation of regular bus lines, high-level-of-service corridors (lianes), night services, school bus services, and rural/suburban regular lines. Compensation is typically structured as a service fee under a gross cost or net cost contract model with the organizing authority.
2. Private Group Travel Services: The company offers customized travel solutions for private organizations (businesses, schools, associations, event organizers), providing coach hire with driver for tourism, intercity, and special event transport. Revenue is generated on a per-trip or contract basis through the Keolis Voyages platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Keolis Nord operates public bus and coach transport services across the Lille Metropolitan area and Hauts-de-France region, managing 21 lines on the ilévia network (including 5 high-level-of-service lianes L90/L91/L91E/L92/L99), regional Hauts-de-France lines, TER rail substitution services, and private group travel via grand tourisme coaches. Operations are supported by an in-house Quality and HSE team and delivered through 4 sites and a 228-vehicle fleet.

Product overview

Keolis Nord is a regional transport company operating as part of the Keolis group in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. The company operates a multi-service transport portfolio consisting of three main offerings: (1) ilévia Network Lines management covering 21 subcontracted lines including five high-level service lines (L90, L91, L91E, L92, L99), night services, and peri-urban school lines; (2) Hauts-de-France Regional Network services including regular lines and TER road substitutions; and (3) Grand Touring Coach travel services for personalized group travel. All operations are supported by dedicated Quality and HSE services. The company operates from four sites across the Lille Metropolitan area with 377 employees and a fleet of 228 vehicles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ilévia Network Line Operations

Quantifiable outcome

• Operates approximately 80% of subcontracted lines on the ilévia network (21 lines)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ilévia (Lille Metropolitan Transport Authority)coreOthersKeolis Nord operates approximately 80% of the subcontracted lines on the ilévia network — 21 lines including five high-level-of-service corridors (L90, L91, L91E, L92, L99), night services, and peri-urban school lines. ilévia is the organizing authority that delegates operations to Keolis Nord via public service contracts.
• Hauts-de-France Regional CouncilcoreOthersKeolis Nord operates regional transport lines under the Hauts-de-France regional network. The Hauts-de-France Regional Council is the organizing authority that grants contracts to operate regular regional lines and coordinates the regional mobility network.
• Communautés de communes (Local Municipal Associations)minorOthersKeolis Nord works in close collaboration with communautés de communes (local municipal associations) to offer transport solutions tailored to the specific needs of local communities across the Nord and Pas-de-Calais territory.
• TER Hauts-de-FrancecoreOthersKeolis Nord provides regular lines and road substitution services for TER Hauts-de-France rail operations, ensuring continuity of service when rail routes are unavailable.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Transdev: One of the largest public transport operators globally and Keolis Nord's principal competitor for French public service delegation tenders; competes directly with Keolis Nord for ilévia, regional, and interurban contracts.
• RATP Dev: Subsidiary of RATP Group operating bus, tram, and rail networks worldwide; a major French competitor for urban and regional public transport tenders where Keolis Nord operates.

Direct peers

• Keolis Côte d'Opale: Sister subsidiary of Keolis Nord within the Keolis Group's Nord-Pas-de-Calais structure; operates analogous bus and coach networks under similar public service delegation contracts in the same broader region.
• Lacroix Group: French independent bus and coach operator running scheduled, school, and charter services across multiple French regions; competes with Keolis Nord for tenders and private group travel work.
• FlixBus: Europe's leading long-distance coach operator; competes with Keolis Nord's coach hire and regional/long-distance services for intercity and charter passenger traffic in France.
• Transdev Nord: Transdev's local operating subsidiary in the Nord region, directly competing with Keolis Nord for ilévia, Hauts-de-France, and TER substitution contracts in the same territory.
• Keolis Val Hainaut: Another sister Keolis subsidiary in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region; runs analogous public transport operations under Hauts-de-France and ilévia/Transville organizing authorities.

Others

• SNCF: Parent company of Keolis Group and therefore ultimate parent of Keolis Nord; counterpart on TER Hauts-de-France road substitution services and the broader organizing authority ecosystem in France.

Regional players

• Transdev Hauts-de-France: Transdev's regional operating presence in Hauts-de-France, competing with Keolis Nord for regional lines, TER substitution, and school transport contracts.
• Cars Perrier: Independent French intercity and school coach operator; a comparable regional player active in similar scheduled and private coach services across northern France.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/keolisnord
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

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 Keolis Nord