Financing Rolling Stock

Thelo finances all aspects of “rolling stock”

The term “rolling stock” refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered, e.g. locomotives, freight and passenger vehicles (or coaches).

Passenger vehicles can be un-powered, or self-propelled, single or multiple units. A connected series of railway vehicles constitutes a trainset.

Locomotives

  • Diesel locomotives​
  • Electric locomotives​
  • Shunting locomotives​

Freight wagon

  • Open wagons
  • Covered wagons
  • Tank wagons
  • Hopper/Bulk wagons
  • Platforms/Intermodal wagons

Passenger trains​

  • Electric multiple units
  • Diesel multiple units
  • Coaches
  • Light rail vehicles
  • Metro vehicles
  • High-speed trains
  • Very high-speed trains (>250 kmh)

Our Clients

Thelo is a leading independent financier of rolling stock to rail operators and freight owners

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Financing
Mobility

1

Track record to become the leading rolling stock financier and asset manager in Africa​

2

Highly experienced and proven team with deep expertise in the sector

3

Well-established relationships with Rail Operators, Freight owners and Equipment Manufacturers

4

Strong and well-defined growth drivers which support the Company’s competitive advantage​​

5

Track record of delivering financial and operational performance underpinned by long-term leases​​

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News

How rail can drive Africa’s economic development

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Success factors: rail vs other means of transportation​

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Our Clients

Thelo is a leading independent service provider for rolling stock finance solutions to rail operators, concession holders and freight owners, allowing access to quality modern rolling stock, including locomotives, wagons, fuel tankers and passenger vehicles.

Rail operators

Description

  • These are generally state-owned enterprises that operate as self-regulating monopolies providing the integrated national railway service from infrastructure ownership to freight and passenger operations​
  • Where inter-railway agreements exist, the train service operations may transcend borders into neighbouring countries within the region, despite infrastructure being limited to the nation state​
  • Emergence of private rail operators collaborating with state-owned infrastructure owners to access rail networks

Opportunities

  • Investment backlogs and pressure to contribute to development in the country​

Thelo client base

Concession holders

Description

  • These are private sector enterprises that participate in the operation and management of either sections of state-owned railway networks​ or purpose built corridors
  • The concession holders’ legal relationship is generally structured by way of a PPP, ranging from track access arrangements to management and concession contracts

Opportunities

  • African States that were showing a declining performance within the railway sector are increasing private participation in sections of state-owned railway networks by entering into partnerships​ with freight owners
  • A large percentage of rail transportation activities in the Sub-Saharan Africa region (excluding South Africa) are managed by private operators

Thelo client base

Freight owners​

Description

  • These are private-sector enterprises that have identified rail as the most effective solution for transporting its goods across long distances on the continent, either for regional trade or export markets

Opportunities

  • In most instances, these enterprises have no option but to independently source rolling stock and deploy it to transport its products under some form of track access arrangement due to the inefficiency and lack of capital and/or rolling stock​ of the rail operator
  • Large international corporations with strong balance sheet support and efficient and reliable operators with a clear capacity to generate cash flows

Thelo client base

  • Mining companies
  • Containerisation
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