Study shows private financing of railway rolling stock in Europe growing at a snail’s pace

20th May 2019

The latest study by Roland Berger for the Rail Working Group covering the period 2015-2017 shows private financing involved in almost a quarter of rolling stock orders in Europe by volume (actual figure: 23%). This is up from 13% in the period 2011-2013, and 20% in the years 2013-2015.

According to the new study, countries with major rail liberalization programmes (e.g. the UK and Germany) will continue to be the main markets for private finance, reinforcing the correlation between market liberalisation and private capital. But progress is far too slow, according to industry insiders, with continuing reluctance in the private sector to invest in rail equipment, combined with reticence by governments and public sector operators to embrace the opportunities and disciplines of shifting the burden of financing procurement to the private sector. More