Foreign acquisition for the Ferrovie dello Stato Group. TX Logistik AG, a company controlled by Mercitalia Logistics, has completed theacquisition di Exploris Deutschland Holding GmbH Hamburg, a European company specialized in the rail transport of goods.
The acquisition, created last July, has obtained clearance from the competent Antitrust Authorities. Thanks to this operation, TX Logistik is the second largest operator in the rail freight transport sector in Germany.
What Exploris does
The east-west orientations of Exploris' international rail links complement the already consolidated network of TX Logistik, which has a significant presence along the north-south axis in Europe.
Explore provides services in 8 countries (Germany, Poland, Belgium, Holland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Switzerland) through 12 direct connections. Furthermore, the company offers rail shunting services in Germany and Poland, as well as running a training center for operational staff.
Exploris yes specializes mainly in rail freight transport in the field of conventional transport. It currently operates approximately 240 trains per week dedicated to the transportation of steel, gypsum, agricultural products, automobiles, construction machinery and mineral oil products for various industrial and logistics customers. These activities are integrated with those of TX Logistik, which focuses mainly on intermodal and combined transport, including connections with container trains in the internal traffic of sea ports. The two companies therefore carry out complementary activities, enriching the portfolio with a broader European industrial clientele.
Mercitalia strengthens its presence in Germany
Through this transaction, Mercitalia Logistics strengthens its presence in Germany, a key country in the flows of goods in Europe, with approximately 386 billion tonnes moved by rail in 2022 according to Destatis.
Germany records one 19% rail market share, higher than 11% in Italy and the EU average, which is 17%.
Furthermore, the countries in which Exploris operates represent 34% of Italy's imports and 26% of exports, further expanding Mercitalia Logistics' international influence and connectivity.
The FS Logistics Hub is present in 11 countries
With the conclusion of the agreement, the Polo Logistica is now active in 11 countries, including those reached through Exploris companies such as Via Cargo, HSL Logistik and Delta Rail. This helps to consolidate the presence of the FS Group on the European market, improving trade flows to and from Italy and benefiting from the import and export services of the Italian industry.
The acquisition is part of FS Group's strategy through Mercitalia Logistics to become a European-wide system operator.
Il total Group staff, with the addition of 500 new employees from the acquired companies, now reaches 1200 units, including the 700 employees of TX. The locomotive fleet grows from 91 to 166, with the addition of 75 Exploris locomotives. The total turnover is expected to grow, exceeding 500 million euros.
The international development strategy aims to increase the Group's revenues from 1,6 billion euros in 2021 to around 5 billion euros by 2031.
“Our playing field does not stop at national borders but extends throughout Europe” he declared Charles Palasciano, Chief International Officer of Gruppo Italian State Railways. “The closing of the operation allows us to take great steps forward to affirm the role that the Logistics hub it's carving out like European logistics operator. We have started a growth path to increase the volumes of goods transported by train thanks to increasingly effective connections both to the national network and to the European railway corridors, consolidating the integration of sea-rail-road transport systems and providing a competitive alternative to road transport throughout Europe".
