BY KELLY HANNON

WOODBRIDGE

The affirmative vote, taken last night by boards of the Northern Virginia and Potomac and Rappahannock transportation commissions, clears the way for VRE to formally award the contract to Keolis, an international transit company headquartered in France.

Keolis operates 5,000 trains a day globally, but VRE will be its first U.S. operation. The company has hired U.S. administrators with passenger rail experience and has opened a Washington-area office.

The five-year contract, worth $85 million, can be renewed twice for five-year periods, if agreeable to both VRE and Keolis.

Keolis bested two other bidders in VRE's competitive process, which rated companies on a 100-point scale considering nine factors. Bombardier Mass Transit Corp. placed second, and Amtrak, VRE's operator and maintenance provider since 1992, placed third.

Elected officials from multiple Northern Virginia localities sit on each commission's board. Representatives from Stafford County and Fredericksburg sit on the Potomac and Rappahannock commission.

Before the vote, Fredericksburg councilman Matt Kelly said the competitive bidding process was fair and open to all. "Everybody got the same applications. Everybody got the same opportunities," Kelly said.

Keolis chose to go above and beyond in its proposal, Kelly said, demonstrating it wanted the contract. Kelly said the Keolis contract is a "good move" for VRE. "Frankly, I think Amtrak expected this contract."

Stafford supervisor Paul Milde, also a commission board member, said the bidding process was a level playing field. "Keolis distinguished themselves most clearly," Milde said.

In the past week, Amtrak has challenged the award to Keolis on several grounds.

On Oct. 29, Amtrak management filed a protest with VRE, alleging it improperly scored the proposals.

VRE's Operations Board announced its intent to award the contract to Keolis on Oct. 16.

Virginia Railway Express CEO Dale Zehner denied Amtrak's scoring protest on several grounds.