Commerz Real has made its second investment for Infravest, its infrastructure fund, by acquiring an interest in European rolling stock provider Railpool.
The investment was made via a fund managed by Palladio Partners, which owns Railpool alongside Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.
It is the second investment by Infravest, which was launched earlier this year. In February, the fund made its debut investment by acquiring a stake in broadcast tower operator ATC Europe.
Infravest is now among a number of institutional investors invested in Railpool via Palladio Partners.
Based in Munich, Railpool provides full-service leasing for electric rail vehicles for European freight transport, with a fleet of approximately 500 locomotives.
It is active in 19 European countries and holds a market share of around 17% in the European freight locomotive market, according to Commerz Real.
Michael Henn, global head of green deal infrastructure at Commerz Real, said: “With our investment in Railpool, we are expanding the Infravest portfolio to include a stake in relevant transport infrastructure with stable growth potential.
“Rail transport plays a key role in the decarbonisation of the transport sector. At the same time, Railpool’s established business model, with its long-term customer relationships and strong demand for modern, electric fleets, offers attractive and predictable returns for our investors.”
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