Australia 
Brazil 
Chile 
China 
Columbia 
Denmark 
Egypt 
France 
India 
Indonesia 
Ireland 
Italy 
Malaysia 
New Zealand 
Norway 
Panama 
Peru 
Poland 
Portugal 
Saudi Arabia 
Singapore 
Spain 
South Korea 
Sweden 
Taiwan 
Thailand 
Türkiye 
United Kingdom 
United States 
Vietnam 
In the fast-growing public transport market, this transaction is aimed at supporting the growth and international development strategy of SYSTRA, which operates in 80 countries.
SYSTRA employs over 11,000 people around the globe, and is one of the world’s top engineering and consulting groups specializing in public transport and mobility solutions. The arrival of new shareholders Latour Capital and Fimalac will help strengthen its position as a global champion in sustainable mobility.
After 13 years at the helm, Pierre Verzat has taken this opportunity to step down as CEO and head of SYSTRA’s Management Board. His successor is Jean-Charles Vollery, who will be pursuing and accelerating SYSTRA’s development.
We are delighted to welcome Latour Capital and Fimalac as shareholders alongside our legacy investors SNCF and RATP. Opening up our capital is a major step in expanding our business, as we move to grow our market share in high-potential regions. I am happy to have been able to contribute to this major transformation. But it’s also an opportunity for me to step back, and I am delighted to be handing the reins over to Jean-Charles Vollery, who has put his passion and talent to work for us for over 28 years.
Pierre Verzat, CEO and head of the SYSTRA Management Board
I am excited to grow our business further, while preserving a brand to which I am deeply attached. And I am committed to placing customer satisfaction and the well-being of our people at the heart of this shared ambition.
Jean-Charles Vollery, Chief Operating Officer and future CEO and head of SYSTRA’s Management Board
Jean-François Beaudoin, Senior Partner at Latour Capital and the new Chairman of SYSTRA’s Supervisory Board, added: “SYSTRA operates in an extremely buoyant market, boasts unique and sought-after expertise, and we have every confidence in its growth potential. We are proud to lend our support as it works to achieve its goals around the globe. We would like to thank Pierre Verzat for his outstanding contribution to SYSTRA’s growth and are fully confident in Jean-Charles Vollery’s ability to pursue the company’s successful journey.”
Marc de Lacharrière, Chairman and CEO of Fimalac, said: “As part of our strategy of supporting forward-thinking industry leaders with strong international growth prospects, Fimalac is delighted to team up with Latour Capital, SNCF and RATP to write this new page in the history of SYSTRA, the French champion in engineering for sustainable mobility solutions.”
Jean-Yves Leclercq, head of Strategy, Finance and Sustainable Performance at RATP Group, commented: “Since its re-foundation in 2012, under the leadership of Pierre Verzat and with the support of its industrial shareholders, SYSTRA has become an international champion in transport engineering, tripling its turnover and significantly improving its operating performance. By opening up its capital to Latour Capital and Fimalac, we wanted to enable SYSTRA to open up a new chapter in its history, which will enable it to accelerate its development. RATP, by retaining 20% of SYSTRA’s capital, is continuing the adventure alongside SYSTRA.”
Laurent Trévisani, Deputy CEO Strategy & Finance at SNCF Group, said: “At SNCF Group, we are proud of our role in co-founding a world-class company capable of promoting French railway engineering excellence globally. That was 65+ years ago. Since 2011, under Pierre Verzat’s leadership, SYSTRA has made a name for itself in the world arena, and we will continue to lend our active support to its growth trajectory.”
In April 2024, SNCF Group and RATP Group announced that they were entering into exclusive negotiations to allow Latour Capital and Fimalac to become shareholders of SYSTRA.
ENR 2024: SYSTRA moves up again in the latest rankingsIn the Transportation ranking, which includes the 2023 international sales figures of the ten largest engineering companies in the mobility sector, we have moved up two places to 6th position, having already moved up one place last year. We are the leading French company in this ranking.
In the Top 225 International Design Firms, which covers the international turnovers of companies in all sectors, the Group moved up two places to 22nd, after having gained 2 places in the last two years, which puts us in the Top 25.
SYSTRA therefore continues to grow in the transport sector and in key geographies.
We have also moved up 5 places in the world’s Top 150 Global Design Firms, where we are now ranked 40th. We are therefore continuing to move steadily closer to the performance of the world’s leading companies.
The rankings for the Mass Transit & Rail and Bridges categories will be announced in December when the Global Sourcebook is published.
This new progression confirms the relevance of our strategy of specialising in the transport engineering market. It’s a vote of confidence from our clients, rewarding the work and commitment of our connected teams.
Pierre Verzat, CEO, SYSTRA
ENR is the leading American magazine in the international engineering sector. Every year, it ranks engineering and civil engineering companies based on their domestic and international sales figures.
Find Engineering News-Record publications on their website.
High-speed lines: SYSTRA makes its mark in California and Morocco with two new projectsIn the US, SYSTRA, as part of a consortium with TYPSA, has won the engineering contract for the central section of the high-speed line between Merced and Bakersfield, in California. Spanning 275 km, this is the first complete line with both track and catenary to be launched in the US – the backbone of California’s future high-speed network. This new contract is in addition to a previous contract signed in November 2022 through Stantec for the execution studies for the infrastructure of this high-speed line between Merced and Madera.
In Morocco, as part of a consortium alongside Egis and Novec, SYSTRA has signed a project management assistance contract for the extension of the high-speed line between Tangiers and Kenitra as far as Marrakesh. This new infrastructure will enable trains to run at 320 km/h over 430 km of new high-speed lines, establishing Morocco’s new railway network as one of the most modern and high performance in the world. The project is slated to be brought into service at the end of 2029, right before the start of the football World Cup. SYSTRA was already a partner in the first Moroccan high-speed line, which entered into service in 2018, as project manager for the longest section of civil engineering and project management assistant for all rail and electromechanical equipment.
SYSTRA responds to the boom in high-speed rail throughout the world
The Group is actively contributing to high-speed networks in other regions of the world. In Oceania, SYSTRA Australia & New Zealand, in a consortium with Arup, has signed a contract to support the planning of the future high-speed network on the east coast of the country, on behalf of the High Speed Rail Authority. Our teams are responsible for studying the operating and maintenance requirements for the first section between Sydney and Newcastle. This line, the busiest of the current regional trains with almost 15 million passengers a year, will be the backbone of a vast high-speed corridor linking Melbourne to Brisbane.
In India, the firm is working on the ticketing system for the high-speed line between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to facilitate the passenger experience, while in the United Arab Emirates, SYSTRA has been working as Project Management Consultant on the preliminary studies for the link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai since end of 2021. In Spain, SYSTRA is in charge of the engineering for a section of the Cantabrian-Mediterranean High Speed Line, a project designed to promote regional and national mobility thanks to this new link between the north and south of the country.
Finally, in the United Kingdom, SYSTRA is a key player in the development of the new HS2 high-speed network between London and Birmingham, with major contracts for the construction of the new multimodal station at Old Oak Common as part of the Balfour Beatty – VINCI joint venture, and for studies of the Birmingham approach section to the north, in a consortium with Mott MacDonald on behalf of Balfour Beatty – VINCI.
These successes and major rail transport projects embody SYSTRA’s international dynamism and bear witness to its world-renowned expertise. The Group is thus confirming its key role in building a future where mobility is fast, safe and respectful of the environment.
Cadence submits its response to the Request for Proposals for the HFR Project
The Government of Canada is expected to announce its selection of the preferred partner at the end of this year.
In the meantime, the Cadence team is continuing to collaborate in the procurement process.
During the development of its proposal, the Cadence team welcomed new partners. Air Canada and SNCF Voyageurs have joined the Cadence team, which already includes CDPQ Infra, SYSTRA Canada, AtkinsRéalis Canada and Keolis Canada. Recognized for their expertise in the design, development and operation of infrastructure and passenger transportation, these organizations are bringing all their extensive knowledge to this fundamental project for Canadians.
In October 2023, the Government of Canada launched a Request for Proposals for the HFR project in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, designed to link Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. In order to contribute to the realization of this major project, the Cadence team submitted a proposal that will meet connectivity and mobility needs, while respecting communities.
Source: Cadence
In 2023, the Group consolidated its growth trajectory, implemented with coherence, consistency, and perseverance. This led to 6 acquisitions, which have strengthened our key geographies and areas of expertise and resulted in sustained activity throughout the world. This momentum is driven by strong commitments, especially concerning the climate challenge, and increasingly robust ethics and safety. Finally, 2023 saw the number of employees rise to over 10,000 and more than 1 billion euros in turnover.
The 2023 Activity Report emphasises proximity and impact, with a geolocation symbol on the cover and throughout the document, as well as concrete cases and testimonials. SYSTRA is there to answer the needs of our clients and the increasing mobility challenges of populations.
The illustrations are by Levente Szabo, a Hungarian illustrator with a dynamic and colourful style.
We hope you enjoy reading the report!
Third Major Success in Toronto: Confidence Renewed for SYSTRA Canada on the Toronto Subway
SYSTRA Canada is strengthening its presence on the creation of the Ontario Line by being entrusted with the role of integrator for the group, led by the OTG (Ontario Transit Group) consortium, made up of Ferrovial and Vinci.
We have been working alongside this constructor since January 2023 to manage the integration and safety activities for the Southern Civils works section of the line.
This is the third major success for SYSTRA in Toronto in the space of four years.
This is the first time we have won a contract for a constructor, which takes us to a new stage in our development. After two contracts as construction partner, for GO Expansion in 2021 and for the Toronto Yonge North and Scarborough underground extensions in 2022, SYSTRA Canada has confirmed its role as a major player in engineering and consulting in Toronto.
Samuel Derosiaux, Executive Vice President, Transit, SYSTRA Canada
Our teams benefit from a unique overview because we were involved right from the start of the project, enabling us to provide our expertise upstream and guarantee that deadlines were met, as well as anticipating and minimising risks before the construction, installation and commercial commissioning phases.
Benoit Barberot, Head of Systems Integration, SYSTRA Canada
We are proud to be working on the creation of this crucial line for Toronto. The authorities have made a firm decision to extend the public transport network in order to encourage a modal shift towards the subway, which makes the Ontario Line one of the most important metro creation projects in North America.
Danuta Dupieu, Ontario Line Project Director, SYSTRA Canada
a nEW lEASE OF lIFE FOR mOBILITY IN tORONTO
The new Ontario Line will link Ontario Place in the south to the Science Centre in the north, serving the city centre and connecting with the two existing subway lines.
The creation of this new subway line is a major improvement for the residents of Thorncliffe Park, Flemingdon Park, Liberty Village and Fort York, who will have direct and rapid access to the city centre. More than 255,000 people will be within a 10-minute walk of the stations, potentially taking 28,000 cars off the roads every day and reducing ridership at the most congested stations by 14% (Union station) and even 22% (Bloor/Yonge station).
To blend in better with the urban fabric, more than half of the line will be built underground, particularly the section in the city centre. With projected ridership of almost 400,000 passengers a day, the Ontario line will become the new backbone of the Toronto subway, with 90-second intervals between trains during rush hour. The project also includes the creation of a maintenance workshop and a cluster of garages.
The new line is due to come into service in Toronto in 2030.
did you know ?
SYSTRA’s first project in Toronto dates back to the 1980s, as part of studies for the creation of a high-speed line, and it was from 2020 onwards that our presence developed significantly.
From 2017 to 2024, SYSTRA IBT worked on the project to build the Davenport Diamond Guideway, which will improve traffic safety on the GO and Canadian Pacific rail lines while creating a new public space above ground. SYSTRA Canada then formed a joint venture with Mace and Comtech to better serve our clients, a move crowned with success at the end of 2021 with the winning of the GO Expansion program for Metrolinx.
This enabled us to change our stature on the ground with a 10-year contract to provide commuter services to Toronto.
Key Features – Ontario Line in Toronto
- New line of 15.6 km;
- Les than 30 minutes from one terminus to the other;
- 15 stations of which 6 are connected;
- 40 connections with the GO railway and surface transport;
- Tunnel sections, in viaduct and on the surface;
- 300 jobs created for maintenance centres and garages;
- Commissioning: 2030.
South Section of the Line
- 8 stations;
- Associated tunnel and underground structures sections;
- 12 engineering and systems experts mobilised;
- Specific expetises: interfaces management, requirements management, preparation and trials monitoring, configuration studies, safety and security management, drawing up of engineering and integration plans.
* GoA 4: Grade of Automation level 4, the highest possible classification for automatic metro lines.
SNCF and RATP Enter into Exclusive Negotiations with LATOUR CAPITAL and FIMALAC with a View to Opening up SYSTRA’s Capital
This operation is fully in line with SYSTRA’s ambition to strengthen its position as a leader in public transport and sustainable mobility in a global market with strong growth potential. With a presence in 80 countries, SYSTRA intends to accelerate its growth strategy with the support of the new shareholders, especially through a proactive acquisition policy in high-potential geographical areas.
The participation of LATOUR CAPITAL-FIMALAC in SYSTRA’s capital would be very good news for the Group. It would mark a new stage in the growth trajectory of SYSTRA, which has been putting its expertise at the service of populations and regions for over 65 years. For several years we have been committed to a vigorous development plan in the very dynamic transport engineering market. The support of the new shareholders, alongside our historic shareholders SNCF and RATP, would enable us to move forward more quickly and more securely to make SYSTRA an undisputed world champion in its category.
Pierre Verzat, CEO of SYSTRA
With 10,700 employees worldwide, SYSTRA’s mission is to make travel more fluid throughout the world in order to bring populations closer together. Signature team for transport solutions, SYSTRA supports its partners and clients throughout the lifecycle of their projects, as demonstrated by its involvement in The Grand Paris Express, the High Speed 2 project in the UK, the Dubai metro and the Samuel-De Champlain bridge in Canada.
Completion of the transaction remains subject to the information and consultation procedure with employee representative bodies and the approval of the various regulatory authorities. In addition, it will give rise to a referral to the ‘Shareholdings and Transfers Commission’.
Redeveloping St-Jérôme Station with the Help of DronesSYSTRA Canada used its expertise in drones to get a bird’s eye view of the project.
How do you adopt a different point of view on the accessibility improvements to be made to an infrastructure? To better advise our client, the operator exo, SYSTRA Canada’s teams used a drone flight over Saint-Jérôme station. This enabled more data to be aggregated than in a conventional feasibility study, making suggestions for the installation of equipment and new services for users more robust.
From a cloud of points to a complete overview
To carry out the survey, you first need to identify control points and record their geolocation coordinates using GPS. The survey can then begin, using 360° panoramic cameras to photograph the areas and draw up a high-resolution topographical map. All the elements that make up accessibility are inventoried: parking spaces, pavements, pathways, and access to buildings.
The images are then processed by photogrammetry1 software, which matches the images with points to determine the shape, dimensions, and spatial location of the buildings. The formalized data display is accessible to the teams in real time. Once processed, the data can be used by other solutions, for example to optimize parking spaces using artificial intelligence.
Drones can make a number of valuable contributions: they can be used quickly, with results available within 48 hours; they provide elevation data to give a better understanding of the topography of pedestrian walkways; and they give clients a completely up-to-date view of their building, in the form of a 2D map. We took the immersive experience a step further, offering a 360° virtual tour of the buildings and their surroundings. The client immediately saw the value of these tools for their projects and their contacts!
Stephan Krajicek, Team leader, mechanical projects – SYSTRA Canada
Towards an immersive visit
In addition to the static survey and the digital surface and elevation models, the drones offer the possibility of immersive visits: the team used the CUPIX Works SaaS (Software as a Service) platform and the DroneDeploy solution to transform the 360° shots taken by the drones into data that can be used for a virtual 3-D fly-through, similar to Google Streetview. This enables project participants to navigate the project site as if they were there, and to make decisions more efficiently.
Moreover, the interactive dimension of the experience is another asset for the life of the project, since the CUPIX platform provides tools for measuring distances, surfaces, and volumes. All this means that both the client and our teams can annotate, collaborate, and share information directly on the platform, which becomes the working environment for discussing studies and, ultimately, monitoring worksites.
Thanks to this reference, SYSTRA can now position itself, when tenders are invited, as an expert in the use of drones and technologies that capture the reality on the ground, whether for project design or construction supervision.
Key features – Drone inspection of Saint-Jérôme station
- 3 overflights
- 6 hours of inspection
- 45 minutes of 360° video captured
- 2 employees: 1 pilot operator and 1 observer
- Data processed and delivered to the client within 48 hours
- Photogrammetry is a measurement technique that consists in determining the shape, dimensions and location of an object in space by taking several photographs of it. ↩︎
ONE OF A KIND TRADE SHOW AND CONFERENCE FOR TRANSIT RAIL
A unique opportunity to learn more about the rail industry. Get your tickets now and meet us at BOOTH 221!
A unique opportunity to learn more about the rail industry: Indoors and Outdoors, Demos, Conference, Technology Showcase, Keynote Speakers, etc.
location
The International Centre, Mississauga, Hall 5
Mississauga, 6900 Airport Rd, Mississauga, ON L4V 1E8, Canada
detailed schedule
Tuesday June 18
9:00 am to 9:20 am
Opening Remarks by TRACCS Board and Minister for Transportation (Main Stage)
9:20 am to 10:00 am
Fireside Chat with Rick Leary (TTC’s CEO), interviewed by Kirsten Watson (Main Stage)
10:00 am to 10:30 am
Rita Toporowski, Chief Service Delivery Officer – VIA Rail (Main Stage)
10:30 am to 11:00 am
Infrastructure Ontario Panel (Main Stage)
11:00 am to 11:40 am
Go Expansion Panel (Main Stage)
11:40 am to 12:10 pm
OnCorr Panel (Main Stage)
12:10 pm to 12:50 pm
Fireside Chat with Phil Verster (CEO of Metrolinx) interviewed – Aaron Branston (Main Stage)
1:30 pm to 2:10 pm
Technical Safety Innovations on a Urban Rail Civil Works Project – Boyd McKillican – SYSTRA Canada (Safety Room)
1:30 pm to 2:10 pm
High Frequency Rail (Construction Room)
2:10 pm to 2:50 pm
Overcoming Systems Integration and Systems Assurance Challenges in Project Delivery – Alexandre Desemery – Hatch (Safety Room)
2:10 pm to 2:50 pm
BIM and GIS Case Uses for LRT Projects: Management of Interfaces, System Performance & Final asset – Jeremy Huet – Egis (Construction Room)
2:50 pm to 3:30 pm
Independent Safety Assurance – What Is It and Why Is It Needed? Rail’s Journey to Net-zero – Ben Faulkner – Ricardo (Safety Room)
2:50 pm to 3:30 pm
Why the Industry Has to Adopt Collaborative Contracting for the Delivery of Major Transit Programs – Matt Clark – BTTC (Construction Room)
3:30 pm to 4:10 pm
Kevin Garben, RailWorks (Safety Room)
3:30 pm to 4:10 pm
Andrew Kooiman, Hurontario (Construction Room)
4:10 pm to 4:50 pm
Safety Integrating Complex Railway Systems and What it Means to YOU – Oi Ki Cheung – High Speed Rail Solutions (Safety Room)
4:10 pm to 4:50 pm
Asset Management Software Lessons Learned on Mega Construction Projects – Kyle Booth – Ultegra Systems) (Construction Room)
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Cocktail (Social Area – Hall 5)
Wednesday June 19
10:00 am to 10:40 am
Jim Charboneau‘s Technology Showcase Panel Discussion (Innovation Room)
10:40 am to 11:10 am
Gary Evans – GR-ASP or Graphical Representation (Innovation Room)
10:40 am to 11:10 am
Roadway Worker Protection for Diverse Applications Lidar + AI for Collision Avoidance and Track Intrusion Detection (Operations Stage)
11:10 am to 11:40 am
Joining Rail w/ NO Heat Affected Zone – Paul Cheng, FuseRing Inc (Innovation Room)
11:10 pm to 11:40 am
Delivering Transformative Solutions for Global Track Renewals – Unipart (Operations Stage)
11:40 am to 12:20 pm
Leveraging Data Traffic Management for Optimized Railway Connectivity – Gabriel Lopez Bernal – Icomera (Innovation Room)
11:40 am to 12:20 pm
Richard Catlow – EXP (Operations Stage)
12:20 pm to 1:00 pm
Innovative Use of Drone Technology – Darryl Conway – Stantec (Innovation Room)
12:20 pm to 1:00 pm
Operational Cyber – WGD Consulting (Operations Stage)
3:00 pm to 3:40 pm
Hitachi Ontario Line – Alexander White (Maintenance Stage)
3:00 pm to 3:40 pm
Inspiring the Next Generation – Damon High, Railway Futures (The Human Element Stage)
3:40 pm to 4:20 pm
How Friction Management Improves Asset Life and Increase Safety – Marco Santoro – LB Foster (Maintenance Stage)
3:40 pm to 4:20 pm
Exploring MEng Degree in Railways Engineering – Marjan Alavi, McMaster University (The Human Element Stage)
4:20 pm to 5:00 pm
The Benefits of Rail Lubrication and Friction Modifiers – Mike Deckert – FLO Components (Maintenance Stage)
4:20 pm to 5:00 pm
A New Generation of Leaders – Shabnum Durrani, COMTO (The Human Element Stage)
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
The Importance of National Standards for Transit Rail and TRACCS’ Program’s Progress (The Human Element Stage)
Thursday June 20
9:00 am | Open floor
11:30 am | Keynote
12:00 pm | Barbeque
