The contract covers the operation of four rail lines totaling 270 kilometers. They will serve a population of 660,000 and will have an annual business volume of 4.7 million train kilometers. The contract will generate cumulative revenue of approximately €500 million over the 11-year period.
The regional commission for transportation in Lower Saxony confirmed the award of the contract to NWB following the withdrawal of Deutsche Bahn's (DB) appeal against the conditions of the call for tenders.
Veolia Transport was selected out of the bidders because of the quality of its offer. New vehicles will be brought into service; they will be modern and air conditioned to improve passenger comfort. A new scheduling system based on regular times will simplify use of the network and transfers. Particular attention will be paid to accessibility for disabled people, with low floors, areas for wheelchairs, suitable toilets in each vehicle, etc. NWB was also selected thanks to its ambitious commitments to quality of service and to safety. Surveillance staff will be on hand in all railcars from 9 p.m. and security cameras will be installed.
Veolia Transport has been operating in Germany since 1997 and continues to affirm its position as that country's leading private operator in passenger rail transportation. For Cyrille du Peloux, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia Transport, "with the award of the Niers-Rhein-Emscher regional contract, as well as that for part of the Leipzig regional rail system and now the Bremen S-Bahn, 2008 marks a new stage in our expansion in rail in Germany. This expertise will be of great strategic importance once the European market for passenger rail transportation is deregulated in 2010."