Rock Rail East Anglia
Rock Rail was awarded preferred funder for Regional and Inter-City fleets for the selected Train Operating Company, Abellio Greater Anglia, who was awarded the franchise by the Department for Transport in August 2016. Rock’s previous deal experience on the Great Northern Route, innovative contractual structure and well established team of advisers, allowed Rock to reach completion on the c£700m transaction in 41 days, in October ‘16.
The renowned Swiss manufacturer, Stadler, was chosen for its excellent reputation for quality and on time delivery to design and manufacture the 58 trains (378 vehicles) with a combination of Intercity Electrical Multiple Units and Regional Bi-mode Multiple units.
Equity investment was provided by Rock and partners SL Capital Partners and GLIL Infrastructure, and debt was provided by a broader base of institutional investors and the European Investment Bank, its first UK investment post the Brexit decision.
Benefits
The trains will provide an increase in passenger capacity of up to 79% on key routes, significantly enhancing the passenger experience and transforming rail travel for the people of Norfolk and Suffolk.
The modern trains will include:
- Intelligent climate-controlled air-conditioning
- Free high-speed Wi-Fi
- Power points throughout
- The latest in real-time passenger information
- A reduction in vibration and noise for passengers
- And will be more environmentally friendly than the old diesel trains.
