Keolis Downer's guest appearances

Keolis Downer

Transit Unplugged

Women Who Move Nations - The Public Transport Podcast

Lauren Skiver

Paul Comfort

Magda Robertson

Leila Frances

Gary Thomas

Wiebe Wakker

Brad Miller

David Kim

Terry White

Loretta Lynch

Robert Schneider

Kevin Quinn

Tom Lambert

Robert Puentes

Debbie Dalle Vedove

OwlTail

As Chairman of the Board of Keolis Downer in Australia and President of the Middle East and India for Keolis, Leila Frances is a woman who moves many nations. As she explains to host Michelle Batsas, the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand (PTAANZ), Leila has built her expertise through on-the-ground operational experience, understanding people and line management, then switching to the commercial side of the business and growing that into an international perspective. She oversees the world's largest tram network in Melbourne, Australia's first multimodal network in Newcastle, Gold Coast light rail and new automated metro systems in Doha, Qatar and Hyderabad, India. Reflecting on her career in public transport, Leila feels fortunate to work in such a forward-thinking sector that’s all about changing cities and people’s lives.

As Chairman of the Board of Keolis Downer in Australia and President of the Middle East and India for Keolis, Leila Frances is a woman who moves many nations. As she explains to host Michelle Batsas, the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand (PTAANZ), Leila has built her expertise through on-the-ground operational experience, understanding people and line management, then switching to the commercial side of the business and growing that into an international perspective. She oversees the world's largest tram network in Melbourne, Australia's first multimodal network in Newcastle, Gold Coast light rail and new automated metro systems in Doha, Qatar and Hyderabad, India. Reflecting on her career in public transport, Leila feels fortunate to work in such a forward-thinking sector that’s all about changing cities and people’s lives.

Leila Frances, Chairman of the Board, Keolis Downer and President, Keolis - Middle East and India 

David Franks

“Passenger railway does a good job [in Australia] moving big numbers of people into city centers.” Bidding 2019 goodbye, Paul Comfort breaks down the top three trends from interviewing transit’s top leaders over the past year. He highlights autonomous vehicles, mobility as a service, and strategies to increase ridership. Additionally, we end 2019 with an interview from David Franks, CEO of Keolis Downer. Having spent time in UK, Irish, and Australian rail systems, Franks shares some of the differences of the regions. He also discusses how one of their light rail systems has 100% OTP (against its contractual commitments) and their new light rail line that doesn’t have catenary wires. If you want to know more about Keolis Downer, check out their website. Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

“Passenger railway does a good job [in Australia] moving big numbers of people into city centers.” Bidding 2019 goodbye, Paul Comfort breaks down the top three trends from interviewing transit’s top leaders over the past year. He highlights autonomous vehicles, mobility as a service, and strategies to increase ridership. Additionally, we end 2019 with an interview from David Franks, CEO of Keolis Downer. Having spent time in UK, Irish, and Australian rail systems, Franks shares some of the differences of the regions. He also discusses how one of their light rail systems has 100% OTP (against its contractual commitments) and their new light rail line that doesn’t have catenary wires. If you want to know more about Keolis Downer, check out their <a href="https://www.keolisdowner.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>. Remember to check out <a href="http://www.transitunplugged.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">transitunplugged.com</a> to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

David Franks – Keolis Downer

Nicolas Gindt

Yarra Trams

“What makes a fantastic difference for Yarra Trams, is its brand and its incredible value in every Melburnian’s heart. And I realized that every time I’m meeting new people.”  Transit Unplugged continues its adventure in Australia with Nicolas Gindt, CEO of Keolis Downer Victoria and operator of Yarra Trams. Yarra Trams is the largest tram network in the world. It has a diverse fleet of ~480 trams with 250 kilometers of track (times two as Nicolas likes to say), with 2300 employees.   On this episode, Nicolas discusses the challenges of operating a diverse trams system – with some trams being weeks old compared to some that have run for 60 years. Sometimes it’s because they must create parts in-house or that the manufacturer no longer exists, and it’s the challenge of integrating the different technologies between all the different trams.   Nicolas highlights how about 75% of the network shares its service with the road and other vehicles. Finally, he elaborates on the challenges of building additional infrastructure for a tram network and trying to make the system more accessible for people with disabilities.   If you want to know more about Yarra Trams, you can check out their website.   Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.  

“What makes a fantastic difference for Yarra Trams, is its brand and its incredible value in every Melburnian’s heart. And I realized that every time I’m meeting new people.”  Transit Unplugged continues its adventure in Australia with Nicolas Gindt, CEO of Keolis Downer Victoria and operator of Yarra Trams. Yarra Trams is the largest tram network in the world. It has a diverse fleet of ~480 trams with 250 kilometers of track (times two as Nicolas likes to say), with 2300 employees.   On this episode, Nicolas discusses the challenges of operating a diverse trams system – with some trams being weeks old compared to some that have run for 60 years. Sometimes it’s because they must create parts in-house or that the manufacturer no longer exists, and it’s the challenge of integrating the different technologies between all the different trams.   Nicolas highlights how about 75% of the network shares its service with the road and other vehicles. Finally, he elaborates on the challenges of building additional infrastructure for a tram network and trying to make the system more accessible for people with disabilities.   If you want to know more about Yarra Trams, you can check out their <a href="https://yarratrams.com.au/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>.   Remember to check out <a href="http://www.transitunplugged.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">transitunplugged.com</a> to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

Nicolas Gindt – Keolis Downer and Yarra Trams 