--- title: History url: "https://www.systra.com/en/group/history/" type: page date_published: 2020-09-14 date_modified: 2026-07-27 schema: @type: WebPage language: en-US word_count: 1919 reading_time: 10 min canonical: "https://www.systra.com/en/group/history/" featured_image: "https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/pour-history-scaled50-scaled.jpg" --- # History ![History](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/pour-history-scaled50-scaled.jpg) 1950 Export French railway know-how all over the world 1960 Invest in urban transport markets in the cities of the world 1970 Open the way for the automation of transport modes 1980 Reconsider the urban space with tramways 1990 Unite french skills under a single banner 2000 Be at the forefront of the worldwide boom in public transport 2010 Provide impetus for the group’s growth via numerous acquisitions 2020 Renewed governance and acceleration through external growth 1957 CREATION OF SOFRERAIL BY SNCF ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/logo_sofrerail-_v3jpg-474x266.jpg) On 6th June, SNCF created railway design and construction company SOFRERAIL in order to develop railway solutions outside France. The first contract was won with the rail network of Indian Railways in India. 1961 CREATION OF SOFRETU BY RATP ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/sofretu-cadre.png) On 6th March 1961, the urban transport design and construction firm SOFRETU was created with a view to exporting RATP’s expertise to the big cities of the world. The first contract it obtained was the Montreal Metro in Canada. 1967 MEXICO CITY METRO – MEXICO [ View this project](https://www.systra.com/en/projects/metro-of-mexico/) 1967 SANTIAGO METRO – CHILE [ View this project](https://www.systra.com/en/projects/santiago-metro-network-chile/) 1970 CAIRO METRO – EGYPT [ View this project](https://www.systra.com/en/projects/cairo-metro-egypt/) 1974 VAL DE LILLE, THE WORLD’S FIRST AUTOMATIC METRO It is in the city of Lille, France, that the very first metro in the world to run on VAL (automatic light rail vehicle) technology emerged. Group experts were mobilised for a quarter of a century from 1974 to 2000, enabling the creation of the first two lines. Since 2010, we have participated in the capacity increase of line 1, using new trains of 52 metres in length. ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/5-lille-474x314.jpg) 1985 NANTES TRAMWAY, PIONEER OF TRAMWAY RENEWAL IN FRANCE Nantes was the first city to count on the development of a modern tramway network in its agglomeration. From 1978, SOFRETU advised the municipality in its initiative and accompanied the whole project which concluded with the commissioning of the first line at the start of 1985. The Group has since contributed to the extension of the network which, with 3 lines, has become one of the most extensive in France. ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/6-nantes-474x316.jpg) 1990 CREATION OF THE CANARAIL SUBSIDIARY IN CANADA ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8-canarail-rocky-mountaineer-474x266.jpg) The Canarail subsidiary was created to conquer the railway and freight engineering market in Canada. In 2018, its activity expanded to urban modes, under a new name: SYSTRA Canada. 1992 CREATION OF SYSTRA \| MERGER OF SOFRERAIL AND SOFRETU ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/9-logo-systra-bleu-cadre.png) 17th July 1992 marked the birth of SYSTRA, which means ‘Systèmes de Transports’ (Transport Systems). From 1992 to 1997, SYSTRA progressively integrated the activities and assignments of SOFRERAIL and SOFRETU throughout the world. This period was also marked by the development of the Group in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and in the Middle East, with the acquisition of MVA Consulting. 1992 PATENT ISSUED FOR THE U-SHAPED VIADUCT DESIGN This unique concept combines an elegant design with reduced costs and construction times thanks to prefabricated structures. Its design is also adapted for sustainable solutions: installation of solar panels on rooves, use of fibre-reinforced concrete, reduction of noise impact thanks to the S-Rack system. Currently, more than 500km of U-shaped viaduct has been built in the world: Santiago, Shanghai, Dubai, Jakarta, Mecca, Taipei, Delhi, etc. ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/10-shanghai_metr_viaduc-en-u-474x316.jpg) 2003 FRANCE: INAUGURATION OF THE BORDEAUX TRAM An ambitious objective: reduce traffic with a transport mode on its own site, and assimilate it as discretely as possible with the historic architecture of the city. A feat achieved notably thanks to ground-level power supply (APS), a world first. Today, the Bordeaux Tram has 77km of lines serving more than a third of the city’s population. ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/11-boedeaux_tram-474x314.jpg) 2007 RAIL SPEED WORLD RECORD 3rd April 2007 is the date the rail speed world record was reached on the High Speed Line designed and executed by SYSTRA. The high speed train specially prepared for the occasion reached 574.8km/h on phase 1 of the East European HSL, inaugurated between Paris and Metz on 10th June 2007. ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/12-lgv_est_record_du_monde_de_vitesse_5748kmh-474x316.jpg) 2009 DUBAI METRO – UNITED ARAB EMIRATES [ View this project](https://www.systra.com/en/projects/dubai-metro-united-arab-emirates/) 2011 FIRST DESIGN CONTRACT FOR THE GRAND PARIS EXPRESS [ View this project](https://www.systra.com/en/projects/grand-paris-express-lines-15-16-17-and-18/) 2011 Integration of Xelis and Inexia ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/collaborateurs_drone_1200.jpg) SYSTRA integrates the activities of Xelis and Inexia. The Group changes in size by doubling its turnover, and by bringing together more than 3,000 colleagues. This event marks the start of a phase of strong development for SYSTRA, under the banner of a new red logo. 2012 – 2019 New acquisitions for new horizons These years are marked by the growth of the Group’s global footprint: from 50% of turnover achieved internationally in 2012, this share grew to 70% in 2019. This development is partly due to a strong external growth momentum over the period. Mobility or engineering company acquisitions, of different sizes, across the entire world: – **BN Tech**, South Korea (2012)– **SAI**, India (2014)– **JMP Consultants**, United Kingdom (2015)– **Tectran**, Brazil (2015)– **SIAS Transport Planners**, United Kingdom (2016)– **Dalco Elteknik**, Sweden (2016)– **Scott Lister**, Australia (2016)– **Vetec**, Brazil (2016)– **International Bridge Technologies**, USA (2017)– **TSP Projects**, United Kingdom (2019)– **C&S Conseils**, France (2019) ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/16-acquisitions-systra-inde-474x316.jpg) 2014 DUBAI TRAM – UNITED ARAB EMIRATES [ View this project](https://www.systra.com/en/projects/dubai-tram-united-arab-emirates/) 2017 – 2018 Inauguration of 4 High Speed Lines – France and Morocco Between July 2017 and November 2018, SYSTRA succeeded in delivering to its clients 4 HSL projects: – Paris-Bordeaux– Casablanca-Tangier– Le Mans-Rennes– Nîmes-MontpellierThese projects are redrawing the map of the regions they serve with considerably reduced journey times (1h less between Paris and Bordeaux; 2h1/2 less between Casablanca and Tangier), reliable services and an emphasis on the development of sustainable mobility (first mixed freight – passenger line in France between Nîmes and Montpellier). ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/lgv_paris_bordeaux-1-474x299.jpg) 2018 ELECTRIFICATION OF BUS FLEETS IN CANADA AND IN FRANCE ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bus-electrique-canada-2019-2-474x266.jpg) All over the world, governments and bus network organising authorities are resolutely taking the path of energy transition to combat climate change. Buses are at the forefront in leading this sustainability revolution and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In Canada in Quebec City, in France in Orléans and in Paris at two RATP depots, SYSTRA is supporting several clients in the success of their bus electrification projects, while our teams have developed a specific simulator, TESS (Transit and Electromobility Smart Simulator) to model the operating scenarios for these new vehicles. 2018 The massive deployment of automation is shaking up transport A pioneer in the automation of metro line steering systems since the 1960s, SYSTRA makes use of its areas of expertise to envisage the automation of transport modes outside their specific transport lanes. Since 2018, we have been leading pioneering autonomous vehicle testing projects in Singapore with the technological research institute SystemX and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and we are one of the major players alongside SNCF in the Autonomous Train programme, which envisages the movement of functional prototypes by the end of 2023. In order to gather all its thoughts on the subject, SYSTRA has published a White Paper entitled Automated and Autonomous Public Transport. ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/18-train_intelligent_autonome-474x316.jpg) 2019 SUBIYAH BRIDGE – KUWAIT [ View this project](https://www.systra.com/en/projects/subiyah-bridge-kuwait/) 2021 Acquisition of SWS Engineering In October 2021, SYSTRA acquired SWS Engineering, an Italian engineering company specialising in the design of tunnels and underground structures. With the acquisition of this company, which employs 240 people, SYSTRA is affirming its ambition to become a world leader in the field of tunnel and underground infrastructure engineering. ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021-capa-ligne15-sud-l1005807-474x316.jpg) 2023 Acquisition of Atkins’ Scandinavian entities ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/sweden_shutterstock_ld-1352x918.jpg) In August 2023, SYSTRA  acquired the three Swedish, Danish and Norwegian entities of Atkins, part of the SNC-Lavalin Group, which specialise in infrastructure design and project management consultancy, as well as rail testing services in Denmark. With these 770 new employees, SYSTRA becomes a leading Scandinavian player in the field of engineering and consultancy for transport infrastructures. 2023 Cutting-edge underground expertise In March 2023, our operations in Australia and New Zealand acquired **Bamser**, an Australian engineering company based in Brisbane and renowned for its excellence in underground engineering. In April 2023, **Subterra**, a Spanish company specialising in tunnel engineering, joined the SYSTRA Group.  This double integration enables SYSTRA to strengthen its worldwide expertise in the field of design and underground structures and to increase its presence in Oceania, Spain and Latin America. ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/img_bamser_acquis_histoire-474x314.jpg) 2023 ACQUISITION OF RAIL SYSTEMS AUSTRALIA ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/integration-des-systemes-474x266.jpg) SYSTRA has finalised the acquisition of Rail Systems Australia, an Australian company specialising in engineering, signalling and telecommunications in the rail sector. This integration strengthens SYSTRA’s presence in strategic markets and enriches its service offering, benefiting its customers and partners. By combining the complementary skills of SYSTRA and RSA, the Group is consolidating its position as a world leader in mobility engineering. 2024 Latour Capital and Fimalac acquire a stake in SYSTRA **Latour Capital** and **Fimalac** have** acquired a 55.7% stake in SYSTRA**. The SNCF and RATP groups, long-standing shareholders, each retain a 19.5% stake. On this occasion, **Jean-Charles Vollery was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board**, replacing Pierre Verzat, who had held this position since 2011. ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/jean-charles-vollery-ceo-systra-scaled.jpg) 2025 Acquisition of Ardanuy Ingeniería ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/official-layout_hd_gettyimages-474x266.jpg) SYSTRA acquires Ardanuy Ingeniería, a Spanish company renowned for its expertise in rail systems, metro, and urban transport. More than 350 new employees are thus joining SYSTRA teams in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, as well as in India and the Baltic countries. This will enable the Group to strengthen its technical expertise in the field of transport systems and infrastructure. With this acquisition, SYSTRA continues its commitment alongside public and private stakeholders to design, develop, and deliver high-performance, sustainable transport infrastructure, supporting the transformation of regions and communities’ mobility. 2025 Acquisition of BG&E ![Background image](https://www.systra.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/social-media-jcv-and-frank.jpg) BG&E’s innovative designs have been winning awards for over 55 years. Its acquisition brings two main benefits. It gives SYSTRA the critical mass it needs in Australia, one of the world’s most dynamic infrastructure markets, with 1,000 employees now compared with 250 previously. It supports the Group’s ambitions in the market for complex buildings, an area in which BG&E excels.