A comparative study of 32 tram systems published by Eurogroup Consulting identified several systems operated by Keolis among the best performing in the world. The study identifies three different types of tram system — recent systems in large cities, recent systems in medium cities, and historic tram systems — and evaluates the performance of the 32 systems according to criteria including service offer, ridership, economic viability, multimodal integration, and reliability.

The Keolis-operated tram systems in Lyon, Bordeaux, Manchester, and Lille achieved performance scores ranked first, third, fifth, and ninth, respectively, in large city rankings. In Lyon, where Keolis partners with the SYTRAL PTA in operating the tram as part of the integrated TCL network featuring six modes of transport, the tram performed particularly well in terms of ridership and multimodal integration referring to the degree of connection with the bus, metro and train networks, or the soft modes.

The study notes that three out of Lyon’s five and soon to be six tram lines transport over 100,000 passengers per day.

The Keolis-operated systems in Dijon, Tours, and Bergen took the top three spots in the study for medium city rankings. Achieving the highest score in this family of tram systems, Dijon’s two tram lines form a key part of the Keolis operated DiviaMobilités network featuring modes including tram, bus, and bicycle as well as car parks and parking.

According to the study, Dijon significantly outperforms the average scores on ticketing thanks in part to the introduction of open payment on board trams allowing passengers to purchase, store, and validate tickets using contactless credit or debit cards. The "tram effect" is perfectly illustrated by Dijon where public transport ridership grew by 40% in just three years following the tram’s arrival.

Among historic trams, Zurich took the top spot with Melbourne’s iconic Yarra Trams operated by Keolis Downer achieving the fourth highest performance score. The largest tram network in the world, Yarra Trams has been operated and maintained by Australia’s largest private multimodal operator Keolis Downer since 2009 when the Victorian Government awarded the contract.

Following the contract’s renewal in 2017, Keolis Downer is doubling the amount of track renewed across the network annually, which will increase from about three miles to six miles on average each year.