EIB backs CargoBeamer with €12.6 million to support deployment of new freight rail technology

• Support for a cleaner and cost competitive transport alternative for cargo
• Construction of three innovative rail freight terminals in Calais (France), Kaldenkirchen (Germany) and Domodossola (Italy)
• The project is financed under the Future Mobility product, backed by the European Commission.

Today, the European Investment Bank Group and CargoBeamer AG signed a €12.6 million equity type financing in the form of a senior secured loan coupled with a profit sharing mechanism. The financing supports the construction and implementation of three new rail freight terminals in Calais (France), Kaldenkirchen (Germany) and Domodossola (Italy) to run combined transport rail services between these terminals as well as to other destinations. The Project will be implemented from 2020-2022. The EIB loan is backed by the Future Mobility facility (“FM”), a joint initiative established by the EIB and the European Commission under the Connecting Europe Facility (“CEF”) Debt Instrument.

CargoBeamer's technology enables "combined road-rail transport" and allows transferring most truck cargo to rail. The company's patented technology consists of rail wagons, innovative shipment terminals and logistics software. CargoBeamer’s system is compatible with 80% of the cargo trailers currently in use and thus offers a cleaner and cost competitive alternative when compared to road-transported freight.

“European road transport continues to have the largest share of freight inland transport, resulting in traffic congestions, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. With freight traffic expected to further grow, the modal shift to rail is becoming more important than ever,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “Combined transport solutions such as road-to-rail can contribute to decarbonising transport and play an important role in achieving our goals towards a more eco-friendly, sustainable and efficient transport sector in Europe. That is why I am very pleased that the EIB, as the EU climate bank, supports an innovative company such as CargoBeamer.”

Adina Vălean, European Commissioner for Transport, added: “This loan will support our European Green Deal and Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy of greening freight transport. To accelerate the transition towards smart and sustainable transport, intermodality is a critical building block, and I am happy that we are able to support Cargobeamer in their effort to shift freight to rail.”

“An international network of terminals at carefully selected locations will be the key to success in our business. Therefore we are pleased about this financing package as an important step for our ambitious growth plan in the future,“ explains Dr. Markus Fischer, CFO of CargoBeamer. “We are convinced that combined transportation and the sustainable solution it offers will play an instrumental role in the modal shift of the upcoming years. We are happy that the EIB and the European Commission share our vision by announcing CargoBeamer as the third project supported by the Future Mobility Facility since it’s launch last year.”

CargoBeamer obtained the EU certification of its technology in 2013 (a crucial step in the highly regulated rail market) and since 2015, it has been successfully operating the route between Kaldenkirchen (Germany) and Domodossola (Italy). On this route the company has been able to capture about 7% of the road freight market in the corridor (excluding the broader hinterland) thus demonstrating that a significant modal shift from road to rail is possible. The first terminal fully using the CargoBeamer technology is currently under construction in Calais (France) and will be opened in mid-2021.

About the EIB-Group

The EIB Group comprises the European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Investment Fund (EIF). The EIB is the European Union’s long-term lending institution owned by its Member States and it is the world's largest multilateral provider of finance to fight climate change. The Bank has recently approved its Climate Bank Roadmap to deliver on its ambitious programme that aims to mobilise €1 trillion of investments in climate action and environmental sustainability during the critical decade ending in 2030. To this end, the Bank will gradually increase the financing it allocates to these objectives to 50% by 2025 and, from 2021 onwards, all the new EIB Group financing will be aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The EIB is the world’s largest issuer of green bonds and was the first organisation to make an issue on this market in 2007.

About the Connecting Europe Facility

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is an EU funding instrument to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment at European level.

Future Mobility Facility is a joint initiative from the EC and the EIB established under the Connecting Europe Facility (“CEF”) Debt Instrument, which aims to support Europe’s decarbonisation agenda, with an emphasis in cleaner, safer and smarter transport solutions. The Future Mobility facility can be partially funded by NER300 programme established by the EU.

About CargoBeamer

The CargoBeamer Group is a logistics service provider in the “combined transportation road-rail segment” based in Leipzig, Germany. Thanks to the company's technology of rail cars, handling terminals and logistics software nearly all standard truck semi-trailers of all build types can use the train – without additional conversions and reinforcements for the tractor trailer and even without a driver and tractor unit. A first route between Kaldenkirchen at the German/Dutch border and Domodossola in northern Italy has been serviced by daily trains since 2015 and is fully utilized – more than 70,000 truck journeys through Germany and the Alps have been transferred to the environmentally-friendly railroad track to date. In the medium-term CargoBeamer will realize a European route-network of high-performing and innovative transhipment facilities at important transport hubs. This will secure sustainable rail-transport for hundreds of thousands of semi-trailers per year – reducing co2-emissions and relieving environment and society.

Press contacts

CargoBeamer AG

Tim Krause
presse@cargobeamer.com
Tel.: +49 341 652339-19
Communications & Marketing Manager

Europäische Kommission

Stephan Meder
Stephan.meder@ec.europa.eu
Tel.: +32 2 29 13917

EIB

Christof Roche
c.roche@eib.org
Tel.: +352 43 79 89013
Mobil: +32 479 65 05 88
Website: www.eib.org/press –
Press Office: +352 4379-21000
press@eib.org