Aug. 14, 2025
By Nick Behan
As CEO of Keolis UK & Ireland, Alistair Gordon leads one of the country’s most innovative transport operators with a global reach. Having overseen major rail and mobility projects in the UK and internationally, he reflects on how technology, sustainability, and automation are transforming public transport and why the sector must align financial performance with climate and community goals to shape the future of mobility.
Looking back, what’s been the most transformative change in the sector and how has it shaped operations today?
The smartphone has fundamentally changed the public transport experience. It’s given passengers everything they need to plan, purchase, and manage their journeys, real-time updates, integrated timetables, mobile ticketing, and more. Beyond that, it provides in-journey entertainment and work connectivity, supporting productivity and personal convenience. Smartphones have also become powerful tools for operators and planners. Through anonymised data sets, we’ve gained new insights into travel patterns, enabling smarter service design and more responsive networks. The smartphone has bridged the gap between passengers and operators, making transport more accessible, more efficient, and more connected than ever before.
What’s the biggest sustainability challenge in your area of the sector, and how is your organisation responding, through innovation, policy, or operations?
In fast-growing megacities like Hyderabad, where we operate the automated metro, the biggest challenge is managing urban mobility amid soaring demand and environmental pressures. With over 1,000 new vehicles joining the city’s roads each day, the strain on infrastructure is intense. Public transport is key to tackling this. Since 2017, Hyderabad Metro has become one of India’s highest-rated systems, reducing car dependency, improving air quality, and delivering a safer, more reliable form of transport. It’s a vivid example of how well-run, sustainable public transport can transform a city, boosting quality of life, promoting social inclusion, and reducing emissions all at once.
How do you balance commercial performance with the long-term imperative to become a more sustainable business, and where do you feel the biggest trade-offs or opportunities lie?
At Keolis, sustainability and commercial performance are not mutually exclusive, they’re deeply intertwined. Our UK operations are already primarily electric, and globally we’re investing in hydrogen, biofuels, and on-demand electric transport. In 2021, we secured a €600 million sustainability-linked syndicated loan, tying our financing directly to our environmental and social performance. That means if we fall short of our CSR targets, we pay more. This hardwires accountability into our financial structure, ensuring our growth aligns with our mission. It’s a powerful model, and one we believe will become more common as the sector transitions toward net zero.
Where is AI already making an impact, and what excites or concerns you most about what’s coming next?
AI is already reshaping public transport, improving operations, enhancing safety, and delivering more personalised passenger experiences. Keolis is embedding AI, including generative AI, across its networks. For example, our new contract with KeolisAmey Docklands to operate London’s DLR will use AI to manage crowds during major events, enhance safety, and ensure compliance with data protection standards. We’ve also worked with Transport for London on AI-powered CCTV trials to detect and identify objects on tracks with high precision. The technology is moving fast, and while the possibilities are exciting, the challenge lies in implementation, ensuring we build secure, ethical systems that genuinely improve outcomes for passengers and staff alike.
Looking ahead to 2030, what single shift will most define the future of transportation, and why?
Automation will define the next era of public transport. Keolis has been at the forefront of autonomous mobility trials since 2016, operating robo-shuttles in cities across Europe, North America, and Australia. Driverless vehicles, when safely deployed, promise to increase efficiency, expand access, and reduce operational costs. We see them as a complement to traditional transit modes, helping bridge the ‘first and last mile’ gap and enabling more people to use shared, sustainable transport. Autonomous technology won’t replace drivers overnight, but it will steadily transform how networks operate and how passengers engage with mobility in the years to come.