MFD Rail aims to grow to 10000 intermodal wagons and volume-based leases

The wagonkeeper MFD Rail started around two years ago with the aim of being the largest rental company of intermodal wagons. As of November 2022, the company had around 2000 cars in stock. In the next few years, the fleet should grow to around 10000 wagons.

Manufacturer capacities and financing are secured, said Wolfram Bahle, CSO and Managing Partner: “Across Europe, the leasing rate is in intermodal transport currently at approximately 30% – in aircraft leasing the proportion is 50%.”

All the studies also showed that the greatest growth potential of rail freight lies in Combined Transport (CT).

The medium and long-term growth opportunities are good; short term deal with the tense situation on the railway network, especially in Germany.  Increased leasing quote requests are nevertheless noticeable, but Bahle judges this quite critically: “If capacity bottlenecks on the rails reduce the profitability of our customers, it is also a disadvantage to us, because we can only grow together with the customers.

MFD Rail currently has rental agreements with Customers in ten countries.

Suppliers of the freight wagons are manufacturers from Europe and Turkey, including from Bulgaria (Kalowag) and Czech Republic (Nymwag). The annual newly procured wagons are continuously delivered, despite the difficult economic and political situation causing delays and disturbances in the supply chain.

In its fleet structure, MFD Rail relies on standard versions of intermodal flat wagons as well as pocket wagons.

MDF Rail has the great advantage that it is a young company with own IT systems not needing to consider old systems and can rely on the latest technology standards in all respects.  New products and offers are developed on the basis of the data, such as the volume-based leasing models depending on the demand for the particular wagon type.