Vienna-based electric locomotive leasing company Green Mobility Partners has entered into a strategic partnership with global investment firm KKR to build a leading European rail leasing platform, as demand for sustainable rail infrastructure accelerates across the region.
Under the agreement, KKR will acquire a majority stake in Green Mobility Partners (GMP), providing capital and strategic support to expand its fleet and pursue growth opportunities, including potential mergers and acquisitions. The investment is subject to customary regulatory approvals.
Founded in 2024 by Christoph Katzensteiner, GMP leases electric locomotives to freight and passenger rail operators across Continental Europe. The company currently focuses exclusively on Siemens Vectron electric locomotives and plans to scale through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions.
The partnership comes as Europe’s rail sector faces mounting pressure to modernise ageing infrastructure and reduce reliance on diesel-powered fleets. The shift towards electrification is creating strong structural demand for modern rolling stock, positioning rail leasing platforms such as GMP to benefit from long-term decarbonisation and transport policy tailwinds.
Katzensteiner said the partnership would help address Europe’s rail modernisation challenge and support the development of flexible, low-carbon infrastructure solutions. KKR’s European Infrastructure Co-Head Vincent Policard said rail was at a critical juncture, with GMP combining a contract-backed business model and strong secular growth drivers in both freight and passenger rail leasing.
KKR said the investment aligns with its broader focus on energy transition and electrification. Since 2011, the firm’s infrastructure platform has committed more than $31 billion globally to energy transition and renewables-related assets, including electrification and transport decarbonisation. In the DACH region, KKR has invested around €20 billion in equity since 1999, with more than €10 billion committed to infrastructure over the past three years.
