The Caen la mer urban community has awarded RATP Dev the public service contract to operate and maintain its mobility network. The six-year contract will come into force on 1 January 2025 and will cover all the mobility services within the Twisto network.
The Twisto mobility network in Caen la mer serves a population of roughly 275,000 residents spread out across 48 municipalities. It includes three tram lines, 72 bus routes, transport services for people with reduced mobility, and transport-on-demand, as well as a bicycle rental service, car-sharing, bicycle parks, and park-and-ride (P+R) facilities.
Between now and 2030, RATP Dev will turn the ambitious mobility goals envisioned by the Caen la mer urban community into a reality. The following changes will be made to the network as early as July 2025:
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Streamlined organisation of public transit timetables. More straightforward and comprehensible arrival times will make access to the network easier for passengers, especially at rush hour.
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A new, more frequent regular bus service along the coast between Caen, Ouistreham and Lion-sur-Mer.
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Improved intermodal transport. The network will offer more interchanges between different modes of transport, rail in particular, including on Sunday evenings.
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Furthermore, the outer suburban municipalities will have more mobility options thanks to a reinforced and expanded Twisto Flex transport-on-demand service.
These initial changes will be followed up in 2028 with a more ambitious overhaul aimed at making public transit a more attractive option by offering a more straightforward, comprehensible, and better prioritised network. That overhaul will include the entry into service of the new T4 tram line and the western extension of the existing T3 line, improved service towards coastal areas, new routes to further improve bus/tram interchanges, as well as active mobility options, bicycles, and car-sharing. This new offer will make the Twisto network available throughout the entire Caen la mer urban community and 40% of employment locations will have a tram stop within 300 metres.
"The local elected officials have ambitious goals for mobility in the Caen la mer urban community. We will make every effort and bring all our experience to bear to meet those goals: persuading more and more drivers to leave their car at home, supporting the local economy and tourism, and reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector. In short: make the Twisto network ever more appealing,” explained Serge Reynaud, RATP Dev Executive Director France and Switzerland.
An innovative network that is ever more committed to the local area
In addition to redesigning the public transit offer, RATP Dev wishes to play a role in changing our way of thinking about mobility, for local residents and tourists alike.
Firstly through a resolute commitment to improving service quality based on feedback from users of the network. That feedback will be taken into account in a spirit of continuous improvement, combined with listening to employees and other local players. Rolling out new tools to promote the service to employees and young people will make the network more agile, dynamic, and appealing.
Then, by continuing to pursue the energy transition of the network, which will include 93 bioNGV buses by 2030, as well as six electric minibuses.
Lastly, RATP Dev will engage in a process of innovation and strong local partnerships on the Twisto network, relying on the local ecosystem of incubators and start-ups to experiment each year with a new service to further promote more virtuous mobility options.
