InfraVia-backed rolling stock lessor NEXRAIL and Vossloh Locomotives have entered into an exclusive agreement for the purchase of a leasing pool of 53 modern shunting locomotives under lease and an order of up to 50 DE 18 Stage V SmartHybrid locomotives for the wider Benelux region.
Vossloh Locomotives, NEXRAIL and InfraVia Capital Partners (InfraVia) are pleased to announce that they have entered into an exclusive agreement to carve out the existing leasing pool of shunting locomotives under operating leases to European rail operators and industrial groups in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg and build up to 50 new DE 18 Stage V SmartHybrid locomotives for the Benelux market.
The pool consists of 53 modern and fuel / emission efficient Vossloh shunting locomotives with an average age of less than 5 years. The main types are DE 18, DE 12, G 6, and G 1000. The locomotives, together with the underlying lease, will be transferred to NEXRAIL, a newly created rolling stock lessor. In addition, up to 50 DE 18 Stage V SmartHybrid locomotives were ordered. The new, universal, four-axle mid-cab locomotives feature a powerful (1,800 kW) and fuel-efficient diesel engine with reduced ecological footprint (Stage V emission standard) as well as an additional traction battery (144 kW), enabling up to one hour of emission-free operation combined with fuel savings of 20–50%. Equipped with ETCS, including an upgrade option to level 2, the locomotives will cover a unique homologation area consisting of Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany and parts of the Netherlands.
As the European market leader for mid-cab locomotives, Vossloh Locomotives, based in Kiel, Germany, is a subsidiary of CRRC ZELC since 2020 and thus belonging to the world’s largest manufacturer of rail vehicles, China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation Ltd. (CRRC).
Supported by infrastructure private equity investor InfraVia, NEXRAIL is a new ROSCO established by a strong management team chaired by Neil Bennett, the founder and former COO of Beacon Rail. Key executives of the NEXRAIL team include CEO Luuk von Meijenfeldt, CCO Mark Remie and CTO Bernd Wagner.
At the signing ceremony in Kiel, Dr. Bernd Hoppe, Executive Director and General Manager of Vossloh Locomotives, stated: “We have put a lot of energy and know-how into the development of the DE 18. We are proud to say that it is a fuel efficient locomotive without compromise in every respect, offering our customers maximum versatility in terms of applications, economic and ecological advantages, and thus investment security, both in its mature configuration and in the SmartHybrid version.”
Neil Bennett, Executive Chairman of NEXRAIL stated: “NEXRAIL brings together a team of locomotive investment and management specialists to deliver innovative, full-service leasing solutions through a fleet of modern locomotives that enable operators and industrials to meet their sustainability targets. This transaction with Vossloh Locomotives and the order of the DE 18 Stage V SmartHybrid for the Benelux market is the inaugural step of our own journey as a lessor.”
Luuk von Meijenfeldt, CEO of NEXRAIL: “With the investment that NEXRAIL is making today, we are sending a strong signal to the market that NEXRAIL is their partner for locomotives on non-electrified parts of the network all over Europe. For our Belgian clients, it is a particularly important message because our DE 18 Stage V SmartHybrid is not just the first hybrid locomotive of its kind but also the first mid-cab locomotive introduction to Belgium in twenty years.”
Athanasios Zoulovits, Partner at InfraVia Capital Partners, stated: “We are very pleased to announce the signing of this landmark agreement between NEXRAIL and Vossloh Locomotives. The rail freight transport market is growing continuously. This positive tailwind is expected to gain further momentum driven by the virtuous role rail plays in reducing carbon intensity of supply chains.”
About Vossloh Locomotives
State-of-the-art mid-cab locomotives from Vossloh Locomotives lead the way throughout Europe. For the European market leader, attributes such as economy, flexibility, and environmental friendliness are in focus during development, construction, and production.
About NEXRAIL
NEXRAIL is a rolling stock lessor operating in Western Europe. Its current portfolio of ca. 100 locomotives (53 operational and 50 under order) is dedicated to the freight and shunting markets with clients located in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg. NEXRAIL is a portfolio company of funds managed by InfraVia Capital Partners.
About InfraVia
InfraVia is a leading independent private equity firm, specialized in infrastructure and technology investments. Since 2008, InfraVia has raised more than EUR 7.4 billion of capital and invested in 30+ companies across 13 European countries.