Since entering the market in 2016, Rock Rail has established itself as the UK’s leading financier of new rolling stock having purchased more than 40% (>£3bn) of all new passenger trains procured for the network. Now, under our new company ‘Rock Road’, we are building upon our success in rail to develop an analogous business proposition for the UK bus market in the context of an imminent zero-emission revolution.
Rock Road will provide operators with a fully integrated zero-emission bus (ZEB) system ‘as a service’ encompassing the finance, delivery and management of [1] required infrastructure upgrades, [2] energy supply chain, [3] a state-of-the-art ZEB fleet and [4] asset management services ensuring the optimal performance of the whole ZE system over its full life. Rock Road, alongside specialist partners, will provide holistic technology management services to optimise operational efficiency, preserve asset life and enhance value-for-money; all captured under a competitive lease rate charged to the operator.
Rock Road will provide a full turnkey solution for both battery and hydrogen powered bus to help accelerate UK operators’ ZEB rollout and overcome many of the barriers associated with a zero-emission transition such as high-upfront costs, long-term technology risk and a considerable increase in operational responsibilities. Our ZE system will be funded as infrastructure over its full life with Rock taking residual value risk following initial lease expiry, granting operators the vast benefit of operating a ZEB system while retaining the flexibility to adapt to advances in zero-emission technology as the market matures.
Rock Road also provides a disruptive and affordable approach which offers public transport authorities with the ability to revolutionise city-wide bus networks at the scale and pace necessary to drive down costs, transform cities and support the UK’s Green Industrial Revolution.
For more information please contact:
Mike Kean