Akiem and Banque des Territoires, a company that provides consulting and finance solutions in the form of loans and investment, have created a consortium offering solutions to the public authorities and rail companies for financing, acquiring and managing passenger rolling stock.
The companies’ goal is to support territorial authorities as the French rail market opens up to competition, and the industry needs large amounts of new financing as it faces growing challenges surrounding mobility.
“Together with Banque des Territoires, we are determined to serve local authorities and develop a public‑private leasing solution that offers transport authorities the best possible value for money, via a mechanism that is fully professional, sustainable and transparent,” Fabien Rochefort CEO of the Akiem group said.
The alliance between Akiem and Banque des Territoires will give the state and regional authorities access to all the rolling stock expertise of a leading specialist, as well as the reassurance of working with partners that care for the common good.
The companies said that the state and regions spend over EUR 5 billion every year to fund regional express (TER) and regional economic development (TET) train services. As the market opens up to competition, the alliance between Akiem and Banque des Territoires gives them access to outsourced financing for passenger rolling stock via long‑term leasing agreements.
The consortium will offer benefits of a solution that covers the complete rolling stock value chain from overseeing calls for tenders from manufacturers to day‑to‑day management of passenger vehicles, promotes economies of scale by pooling their respective needs and clarifies the different responsibilities between the rolling stock owner, transport authorities and operators.
“This solution, which transfers the risks of rolling stock ownership, will give transport authorities access to the full range of Akiem’s expertise, and guarantees long‑term non‑discriminatory access to rolling stock to every rail operator selected by regional transport authorities,” Pierre Aubouin the Head of the Infrastructure and Mobility Department at the Investment Division of Banque des Territoires said.
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