Rock strengthens New Sector Investments platform with senior appointment

London – 25th February 2026

Rock is pleased to announce the appointment of Miguel Parras as Partner and Head of New Sector Investments, situated in our London offices, strengthening its leadership team as the firm continues to expand its investment platform across essential infrastructure.

Miguel will lead the development of Rock’s strategy investing into new sectors, focusing on core transport infrastructure, energy transition and long-term contracted assets. His appointment supports Rock’s ambition to deepen institutional partnerships and broaden its capital deployment capabilities across international markets.

Miguel brings over 20 years’ experience in transport and infrastructure leadership. He most recently served as Group CEO of Go-Ahead, where he led one of the UK’s largest public transport operators through a period of strategic transformation and international growth. His experience spans regulated and concession-based markets, complex capital structures and long-term stakeholder partnerships across Europe and North America.

Previously, Miguel spent six years as Chief Investment Officer at Globalvia, where he led the group’s investment activities across its international transport infrastructure portfolio. His combined experience across asset ownership, capital allocation and operational delivery positions him uniquely to scale Rock’s New Sector Investments platform.

Mark Swindell, CEO of Rock, said:

“I met Miguel in 2011 when he was leading the successful bid team on the Mersey gateway bridge project and more recently in his role as Group CEO of Go-Ahead. He is someone with an entrepreneurial spirit and strong governance credentials. Miguel will add to our Rock Management team by bringing his rare combination of operational leadership and deep infrastructure expertise. His experience leading large, regulated businesses and working closely with long-term investors makes him ideally placed to build and scale our Alternative Investments platform. His appointment reflects Rock’s continued ambition and disciplined approach to growth.”

Miguel Parras said:

“I am delighted to join Rock at a time of significant opportunity for infrastructure and long-term capital. I have been particularly drawn to Rock’s values-driven culture and its clear vocation for long-term ownership. Infrastructure requires patient capital, disciplined stewardship and deep alignment between operators, investors and public stakeholders, and I look forward to building investment strategies that deliver resilient, sustainable value across markets.”

Miguel joins Rock at a time of structural reallocation of capital toward essential infrastructure, energy transition and long-duration contracted assets. As institutional investors seek scale, resilience and alignment, Rock aims to position itself at the forefront of this shift – building differentiated platforms that combine operational insight with disciplined capital deployment.

 

Rock is a specialist investment and asset management company focused on transforming critical infrastructure sectors with sustainable, high‑impact solutions. As the parent company of Rock Rail and Rock Road, Rock is dedicated to supporting the decarbonisation and modernisation of infrastructure across the UK and Europe. Through strategic partnerships with public authorities, manufacturers, operators and investors, Rock drives long‑term value by developing, owning and managing innovative rail and road assets that enhance connectivity, reliability and environmental performance. With significant capital deployed in next‑generation rolling stock and sustainable bus infrastructure solutions, Rock’s mission is to deliver infrastructure that works better for people, communities and the planet.

For more information, visit https://rock-group.co.uk/

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:

Issy Nash

Marketing Executive

[email protected]

 

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Driving Net Zero: How Rock Road 
Is Funding the UK’s Bus Transition

Accelerating the shift to clean, affordable, zero-emission transport

Year
2025
Category
Rock Road
Share

The Challenge

The UK bus network is at the heart of everyday travel – but over 30,000 diesel buses still need replacing to achieve a fully zero-emission fleet.

While around 5,000 battery-electric buses are already on the road, the high upfront cost of electric vehicles and depot electrification continues to slow the transition. Traditional funding routes — such as government grants or short-term bank finance – have helped start the journey but cannot support decarbonisation at the scale required.

A new, sustainable funding model was needed: one that could attract long-term capital, spread costs fairly, and give operators and authorities confidence in the future.

The Solution

In 2021, Rock launched Rock Road to deliver exactly that –  applying its proven infrastructure financing approach from the rail sector to the UK’s clean bus revolution.

Working with Aviva, the National Wealth Fund, and HSBC, Rock created a dedicated investment platform that channels infrastructure-style finance from pension funds and institutional investors directly into zero-emission bus projects.

This model provides:

Impact

The platform has already raised £100 million, with capacity to scale to £1 billion per year over the next decade – providing a consistent source of affordable capital for local authorities and operators.

Rock’s model ensures that the total cost of ownership (TCO) of electric buses can now be lower than diesel equivalents, thanks to both cheaper long-term finance and reduced operating costs.

In London, Rock has financed 120 zero-emission buses under 7-year leases aligned with Transport for London’s contract lengths. This structure gives operators flexibility and certainty:

The Future

Rock Road’s ambition is to support the rollout of zero-emission fleets across the UK – helping local authorities and operators meet climate goals without overextending public budgets.

By leveraging limited government funding to attract large-scale private capital – for example, £10 million of public investment unlocking over £250 million in total funding – Rock’s model accelerates decarbonisation while keeping costs low for the public sector.

Our ambition is to make electric buses the default choice - not because of subsidy, but because they are the best economic and environmental option.
Louis Swindell
Commercial Director, Rock Road