Railpool secures EUR 100m loan for fleet expansion
GERMANY: Railpool has secured a EUR 100 million promotional loan from KfW, Germany’s state development bank, to finance new locomotives, supporting rail freight growth in Germany.
The facility is part of KfW Programme 269 and is integrated into Railpool’s existing financing platform. The new locomotives will be deployed primarily in Germany.
Programme 269 has previously backed wagon lessor VTG with EUR 340 million for new freight wagon procurement under the same scheme.
Programme 269 and modal shift
Railpool is one of Europe’s largest independent locomotive lessors, founded in Munich in 2008 and active in 19 countries. It provides electric and hybrid traction to freight and passenger operators under full-service lease agreements, with a fleet covering 85 million kilometres annually.
Programme 269, launched by KfW on behalf of the German transport ministry, provides subsidised loans for sustainable mobility investments in Germany. The programme targets rolling stock and infrastructure acquisitions that support a shift of freight from road to rail.
Leasing as a structural tool
For freight operators, leased traction reduces upfront capital requirements and allows flexible fleet scaling without long-term ownership commitments. Railpool’s full-service model — covering maintenance and spare parts — has grown across European open-access freight operators over the past decade.
The KfW loan will fund additional locomotives for primarily German deployment, though Railpool operates across 19 European countries.