HSH Nordbank and KfW IPEX-Bank sign “Railpool” Joint Venture
New rail asset manager to meet increasing need for rail assets
Hamburg/Kiel, June 13, 2008 - With the signing of a Joint-Venture, HSH Nordbank AG and KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH have prepared the ground for a new asset manager in rail transportation named Railpool GmbH, to be founded in July. Each of the banks will own half of Railpool, which is to be based in Munich. The two banks will found the company on the basis of their conviction that the privatization of European rail transportation will continue to move ahead. There will also be an increasing need for rail assets provided by private rail operators. According to estimates, Western Europe will need EUR 5.6 billion in new locomotives by 2015. During the same timeframe, a similar amount will be needed for regional rail transport.
"The aim of Railpool is to create the first one-stop shop for rail operators, setting new standards in financial services for rail transport through an asset management platform," explains Mathis Shinnick, Global Head of Transportation at HSH Nordbank. “We will not only provide our clients with financing and leasing, we will also offer them advice and services," says Shinnick.
"Founding Railpool is the logical development of our product range for financing rail cars," says Christiane Laibach, member of the KfW IPEX-Bank Executive Board. "Since privatization in Europe began, we have helped private rail operators to finance their investments. Railpool will help meet the sharp growth in demand for operating leases in an individual and targeted manner.
For this purpose, Railpool will acquire a fleet of locomotives and rail cars for regional rail transportation services and lease them to private rail operators. "Owning the rail assets allows Railpool to issue finance and capital market products on the fleet and thus further participate in the performance of the rail pool," says Shinnick. "Railpool thus combines the full value chain in banking with the value chain of a service provider in the rail industry," notes Laibach.
About HSH Nordbank AG
HSH Nordbank AG is a strong business bank in northern Europe with total assets of EUR 205 billion. With around 4,800 employees, the bank provides corporate clients and wealthy private clients around the world with a broad range of high-quality banking services. In its core region of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, it is the market leader in the corporate customer segment. HSH Nordbank is an acknowledged partner of the capital markets. Internationally, it focuses on transportation and real estate. The Bank covers the entire value chain in the transportation segment and is the world’s largest provider of shipping finance. In real estate, HSH Nordbank is one of the strongest banks in Germany, providing services relating to all aspects of real estate.
Additional information can be found at www.hsh-nordbank.com
About KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH
Within the KfW Bankengruppe, KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH is responsible for project and corporate financing as well as trade and export financing domestically and abroad. It combines all of the financial service activities in which the KfW Bankengruppe competes with other banks worldwide. It has been a legally independent company since January 1, 2008, and contributes significantly to the mission of KfW Bankengruppe. It has approx. 450 employees (as of May 2008) and is represented in all key economic and financial centers around the world.
Additional information can be found at www.kfw-ipex-bank.de
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