Acquisition and Refurbishment of Up to 135 Passenger Coaches for FlixTrain

Challenge
FlixTrain sought to establish a LeaseCo structure to finance up to 135 used passenger railcars it had previously acquired and planned to refurbish. The objective was to secure a third-party investor while ensuring favourable financial conditions and long-term operational efficiency.

Approach
Apex Rail was mandated to design, propose, and implement a competitive financing structure. The key steps included:

• Structuring a LeaseCo Model: Developing an optimal financial framework to attract investors.
• Investor Solicitation & Competitive Bidding: Preparing an information memorandum, term sheet, and soliciting/evaluating indicative offers.
• Negotiation & Finalisation: Managing the process to obtain binding offers and implementing the financing structure with the preferred bidder.

Results & Impact

• Secured Optimal Financing Partner: Railpool emerged as the winning investor through Apex Rail’s structured process.
• Enabled Fleet Modernisation: The refurbished coaches were successfully introduced into FlixTrain’s German network, enhancing service capacity and quality.
• Optimised Financial Efficiency: Achieved a structured leasing solution that balanced investment attractiveness with operational sustainability.

By facilitating this transaction, Apex Rail enabled FlixTrain to expand and modernise its fleet while securing a strong financial foundation for long-term rail operations.