EUROPE: Following regulatory approval, Akiem Group completed the acquisition of Macquarie European Rail’s rolling stock leasing business on April 23.
The transaction includes 137 locomotives used by 21 operators, including EMD Class 66, Bombardier Traxx, Alstom Prima and GE Transportation 311D and Class 70 locos. There are also 30 Bombardier Class 379 EMUs leased to UK operator Greater Anglia, 16 Stadler GTW DMUs in the Netherlands and 110 wagons.
Akiem is owned 50:50 by SNCF’s Transport et Logistique Partenaires subsidiary and infrastructure investor DWS’s Eurotraction business. The acquisition consolidates its position in the European locomotive leasing market, with it now owning a diversified portfolio of over 600 locos operated by 65 customers. It also takes the company into the passenger train leasing market.
‘Our group is all systems go to serve rail freight operators throughout Europe who were assuring the transport of around 70% of volumes before the Covid-19 crisis’, said Akiem Group CEO Fabien Rochefort. ‘We firmly believe that rail is the sustainable means of transport that our society needs. We have shared this belief with our financial partners who, despite the unprecedented health situation, have backed us in financing this deal.’
Nomura acted as Akiem’s M&A advisor, Crédit Agricole CIB as sole debt arranger and Hogan Lovells was legal counsel.
