Australia: Keolis–SNCF–Certifer Named BOMA for Newcastle–Sydney HSR
Keolis on 23 July said the Australian Government’s High Speed Rail Authority has appointed a partnership led by Keolis as Business, Operations and Maintenance Adviser (BOMA) for the Newcastle to Sydney high-speed rail project.
The partnership comprises Keolis, French national railway SNCF and railway safety, assurance and certification specialist CERTIFER. Keolis said it will provide overall leadership and transport-integration expertise from almost two decades of Australian operations, SNCF will contribute more than four decades of high-speed rail operating experience, and CERTIFER will supply safety management, systems assurance, regulatory compliance and certification capability.
According to Keolis, the partners will act as HSRA’s shadow operator and maintainer during the project’s Development Phase, embedding operational, maintenance and customer requirements into design and planning from the outset. The company said the role covers service planning and customer experience through to maintenance strategy and operational readiness.
Keolis Group CEO Frédéric Van Heems said on 23 July that Australia has an opportunity to create a high-speed rail network that will transform city and regional connectivity, and that Keolis’s role is to help apply lessons from established high-speed systems while tailoring the approach to Australian communities and passengers. Keolis Australia and New Zealand CEO David Franks said the appointment combines local operating experience with global high-speed expertise.
Keolis said the partnership draws on experience operating and optimising TGV services in France, Eurostar, OUIGO services in France and Spain, and Morocco’s Al Boraq, as well as advisory work on emerging programmes including Alto in Canada and California High Speed Rail. CERTIFER is described as part of the Apave Group, with an established Australian presence.
The Newcastle to Sydney project is described as the first stage of Australia’s high-speed rail. Keolis said its appointment comes at the start of a two-year Development Phase aimed at making the project construction-ready through detailed design, planning and approvals, procurement, delivery planning, and further refinement of scope, cost, schedule and risks, informing a future Australian Government investment decision.
Keolis said it employs more than 3,500 people in Australia across five states, enabling about 100 million passenger journeys a year, including Gold Coast light rail, Newcastle’s integrated network, bus operations in several states, and customer-service and maintenance roles on Adelaide Metro trains. Group-wide, Keolis said it is 70% owned by SNCF and 30% by La Caisse (CDPQ), employs about 68,000 people across 14 countries and recorded €7.1 billion turnover in 2025.
The appointment is distinct from HSRA’s earlier naming of Bechtel as Delivery Partner for the same Newcastle–Sydney development phase.