Hamburg Commercial Bank supports the financing of high-speed trains for Proxima
HAMBURG/LONDON – Hamburg Commercial Bank (HCOB) participates as Mandated Lead Arranger in a financing for the construction and acquisition of twelve high-speed trains for the French railway operator Proxima. A bank consortium is financing a total of almost EUR 500 million, fully compliant with the Loan Market Association’s (LMA) Green loan criteria. Proxima is the first independent and domestic operator of high-speed trains in France, founded by industry experts Rachel Picard and Tim Jackson and fully backed by Antin Infrastructure Partners.
The electrically powered twelve Avelia Horizon trains of the latest generation TGV family from the manufacturer Alstom will connect the western French cities of Bordeaux, Rennes, Nantes and Angers with Paris, providing more than ten million new seats per year.
“We are very pleased to support Proxima with this major milestone financing, which will further drive the decarbonisation and electrification in the rail transportation sector,” says Inka Klinger, Head of Project Finance at Hamburg Commercial Bank. “With the liberalization of the rail transport market in France, Proxima, as the first independent high-speed train operator, will further expand the range of services available to rail passengers in France and meet the high demand for fast, low-carbon, interurban trains.”
Tim Jackson, co-founder of Proxima, says: “We are pleased that Hamburg Commercial Bank is supporting the launch of our fleet with this financing and we would like to thank the HCOB team for their excellent cooperation on this transaction.”
About Hamburg Commercial Bank:
Hamburg Commercial Bank AG (HCOB) is a private commercial bank headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, that provides customized financing solutions for German and international companies. HCOB has a strong position in structured real estate and project finance and is a reliable financing partner for the global shipping and aviation sector. Efficient and secure payment transaction services as well as innovative products for foreign trade complete the range of services. The bank is guided by established ESG criteria and operates from several locations in Germany as well as in Amsterdam, London, Luxembourg and Piraeus. For more information, please visit www.hcob-bank.com.
About Proxima
Proxima is France’s first independent high speed train operator led by its two co-founders, Rachel Picard and Tim Jackson. It has the full financial backing of Antin Infrastructure Partners.
About Antin Infrastructure Partners
Antin Infrastructure Partners is a leading private equity firm focused on infrastructure. With over €32bn in Assets under Management across its Flagship, Mid Cap and NextGen investment strategies, Antin targets investments in the energy and environment, digital, transport and social infrastructure sectors. With offices in Paris, London, New York, Singapore, Seoul and Luxembourg, Antin employs more than 240 professionals dedicated to growing, improving and transforming infrastructure
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