As the year comes to a close we have taken a look back at the biggest deals across Railway Technology in 2023. Rail companies and manufacturers were observed broadening their market reach and extending their product offerings.
Over the past year, the rail sector has demonstrated strong progress in recovery after setbacks with Covid-19, and received billions of dollars worth of deals.
Siemens Mobility secures €3bn locomotive contract in India
Commencing the year strong Siemens Mobility secured its "largest ever" contract with Indian Railways at the start of the year in a deal that was set to increase freight transport across the region.
The large Indian Railways deal covered the delivery of 1,200 electric freight locomotives, featuring 35 years of full-service maintenance.
National Express secures €1bn rail contract in Germany
Continuing the strong start, National Express Rail GmbH received a rail contract valued at €1bn in Germany, establishing the company "as the second largest rail transport company in the region".
The contract authorised the National Express to run the RE1 and RE11 Rhein-Ruhr-Express (RRX) lines until 2033.
Škoda Group secures €732m contract with Trenitalia
This deal saw the Czech manufacturer expanding its offerings into the Italian market, a market it first participated in early October 2022.
The contract features the production of 370 new railway coaches, which are set to serve the Milano-Palermo-Syracuse line.
Škoda secures €1bn contract with Egyptian National Railways
This mid year deal marked Skoda’s first expansion into Africa with the aims of improving the "quality" of the rail sector.
Skoda signed contracts of over €1bn which aim to maintain and modernise over 280 locomotives.
Seatfrog secures £6m investment
The rail ticketing startup received a £6m financial boost to reach the next stage in its business plan.
The funding round will support Seatfrog’s expansion into Europe. The company was able to achieve over 800% revenue growth in 2022.
Siemens Mobility signs €5bn contract for Mireo trains with ÖBB
Siemens and ÖBB signed a large €5bn framework contract for the provision of up to 540 single-deck electric multiple-unit trains.
Colombia: Central freight route contract awarded
The contract featured maintenance and upgrade provisions across the 522km La Dorada – Chiriguaná line. It is a one-year signing with a contract value of 71.7bn Pesos ($18m).
MSC set to acquire 50% of Italo
This deal represented the shipping giants efforts to maintain its ties with Italy. The agreement shows a commitment to create sustainable transportation that will support Italo's efforts.
MSC announced a binding agreement to acquire a 50% stake in train company Italo – Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (Italo). The deal is reported to give Italo an enterprise value of €4.2bn ($4.4bn).
DB sells Arriva Group to US asset management company
In a recent deal by Deutsche Bahn (DB), the company has expressed its aims to increase growth across Germany. Valuing around €1.68bn, DB agreed to sell its subsidiary Arriva Group to the US-based infrastructure asset management company I Squared Capital.
The deal formed part of DB's "Strong Rail Group" strategy, aiming to strengthen domestic rail operations by reducing overseas interests and investments.
