After two months of exclusive negotiations, the redemption is recognised: the German FlixBus has officially swallowed its competitor Eurolines-isilines, until then owned by the Transdev group. Which means that, of the five operators initially launched in the race in 2015 when the law Macron has liberalized the market, only FlixBus and Ouibus remain on the road. In 2016, the first had already acquired the continental Europe division of its british competitor Megabus, when the second was offered the brand Starshipper created by thirty of coach French.

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The negotiations between FlixBus and Transdev have thus ended this Tuesday, April 30, but the amount of the redemption is revealed, informs a press release of the German leader. "The assignment covers the activities of Eurolines in France, the netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Spain, with a network of buses covering 25 countries," says FlixBus. In France, the operator of the French multinational circulated under the banner isilines. The CEO of Transdev, Thierry Mallet, justifies this decision by explaining that the transaction will allow the French operator to refocus its activities "on public transport and for the account of the companies", in other words, the metro, buses, trams and benefits of the shuttle service.

With its 7.3 million passengers in France (+40% compared to 2017), FlixBus includes the number three in the sector, which has carried 2.5 million guests last year. The German operator confirms its status as a european giant in terms of routes of buses long-distance. With a distributed network in 29 countries, FlixBus carried a total of 45 million people last year and does not stop in so good way.

If the French market is in full growth in number of passengers (+20% in the third quarter of 2018), it is still in deficit: Ouibus was posted 35 million euros of losses in 2017, isilines had lost the same year 15 million and FlixBus lost only 5 million euros. However, the German operator, which holds a quasi-monopoly in its country of origin has become cost-effective at the european level.

"The strategy of FlixBus is to "develop a real network in which the passengers of the lines loss-making come to fill the larger lines"

Yves Lefranc-Morin, director-general of FlixBus France

The redemption of Eurolines-isilines allows FlixBus confirm its lead over its single competitor, Ouibus, as well as its advantage: the european market. Because for a trader, the only possibility to become profitable is to increase its number of passengers. "The operators are imposed on the market as an alternative to the less expensive for long journeys", was recalled in January Yves Lefranc-Morin, the director-general in France, FlixBus, thus justifying the impossibility for the operators of cars to increase their prices to compensate for their deficits.

The strategy of the German is therefore "to develop a real network in which the passengers of the lines loss-making come to fill then the greatest lines, most of the time those passes to Paris". Confirming the purchase, because the operator plans to add "lines and more frequencies on routes such as Paris-Lille or Paris-Lyon. This will allow us to more quickly reach the critical size," adds Yves Lefranc-Morin.

Although the buyback is a blow for Ouibus, a subsidiary of coach transport for the SNCF is not in rest. Already in 2017, the French operator was allied with three european coach operators to increase its commercial offer: National Express in United Kingdom, Alsa in Spain and Portugal, and finally the Italian Marino Bus. Like the airlines, Ouibus objective was to create, with its partners, hub international.

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But above all, at the end of 2018, the SNCF has announced the sale of its subsidiary, the champion of car sharing, BlaBlaCar. The Ouibus should be renamed BlaBlaBus at the end of the year. This new brand will be launched in the Benelux and Germany, where it will directly compete with FlixBus. In internationalized the offer, the leaders of BlaBlaCar are planning to achieve to make the operator for the time deficit. A fund raising of € 101 million, to which the SNCF is involved is believed to strengthen BlaBlaBus outside of France.

above all, the arrival corollary of the SNCF in the capital of BlaBlaCar allows the ridesharing website to make its entrance on the first e-commerce site with French, to know YES.SNCF. This summer, the site will offer offers combined train-bus-car-sharing which will offer travelers opportunities to travel more complete. Buying Eurolines-isilines, FlixBus has won a battle, but in the face of the next BlaBlaBus, it is not certain that he wins the war.