John Laing Completes 61 Mireo BEMUs Northern Westphalia Germany

GERMANY – International investor John Laing Group has completed financing for a fleet of 61 Siemens Mireo battery-electric multiple units (BEMUs) for the Northern Westphalia (NnW) network. The project, a partnership with Rock Rail, involves a 30-year wet lease contract with the public transport authority, Zweckverband Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (NWL). The first trains are scheduled to enter service by the end of 2029.

What Is the Full Scope of This Project?

The project covers the financing, ownership, and provision of 61 Siemens Mireo Plus B trains through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The rolling stock will be leased to the future network operator, to be selected by NWL in 2026, under a 30-year availability-based wet lease contract. John Laing holds an 89% stake in the asset-owning entity, with Rock Rail holding the remainder. The total financial value of the investment was not disclosed.

Key Project Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Projects?

This order for 61 units will establish the second-largest BEMU fleet in Germany upon its completion. It is surpassed only by a 2022 order for 75 Siemens Mireo Plus B units for the Ortenau network in Baden-Württemberg, procured by the state-owned leasing company Landesanstalt Schienenfahrzeuge Baden-Württemberg (SFBW). Both projects utilize a similar model where a separate entity owns the rolling stock and makes it available to the operator, a common strategy in Germany to facilitate long-term investment in alternative-propulsion technologies and de-risk procurement for public transport authorities. (Source: SFBW, 2022).

Editor’s Analysis

This deal demonstrates the continued strength of private finance in achieving state-level transport decarbonization goals, even as national budgets face competing priorities. While Germany’s federal government has increased defense spending to over 2.0% of GDP, this project shows that PPP models can successfully attract long-term institutional capital for green infrastructure. This financing structure shifts the upfront capital expenditure burden from the public sector and aligns investor returns with long-term asset availability and performance, a model gaining traction for complex technology transitions. (Source: The Week, 2024).

FAQ

Q: What is a battery-electric multiple unit (BEMU)?
A: A BEMU is a train that can run on electrified lines using a pantograph and also operate on non-electrified sections using onboard battery power. The batteries are recharged while the train is on the electrified parts of the network or at designated charging points.

Q: What is the total value of this rolling stock investment?
A: The total financing value for the 61 Siemens Mireo trains has not been publicly disclosed by John Laing, Rock Rail, or the contracting authority NWL.

Q: Who will operate the new trains on the NnW network?
A: The operator has not yet been selected. The public transport authority, NWL, is conducting a separate tender process and expects to award the operating contract in 2026.