Railrelease, a Netherlands headquartered railcar leasing company, acquired Combo Wagon Service (CWS), a wagon maintenance company. The acquisition targets the wagon maintenance market in which Railrelease wants to expand.

In April, CargoRoll Holding AG, an investment company owned by Reichmuth Infrastructure and PCS Holding, obtained 49 per cent of Railrelease’s shares, intending to expand its services. A few months later, the results of this partnership are already visible, with the company proceeding from leasing wagon equipment to providing a complete package of services that includes its maintenance.

Long-term development strategy

“I am delighted to announce this takeover and our first steps towards the integration of maintenance activities because wagon availability is key to our customers,” mentioned Julian Remie, CEO of Railrelease. The company, which “invests in new railcars and equips them with durable long-life parts”, implements a long-term strategy to become a leading European wagon mobility provider.

The acquisition of CWS provides Railrelease with new opportunities. The company takes a step further by offering maintenance services to its customers and supporting its fleet with its spare part warehouse, two workshop locations, and six mobile maintenance teams to serve logistical hubs in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

However, apart from the range of services, Railreleaseaims to change the approach of maintaining its equipment. Specifically, it wants to reduce downtime, and that is why it will start implementing a preventive and usage-based maintenance scheme.

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• Railrelease strengthens its position in wagon leasing market