TX Logistik Completes Acquisition of Exploris Deutschland

TX Logistik AG, a subsidiary of Mercitalia Logistics, has completed the acquisition of Exploris Deutschland Holding GmbH Hamburg, a European rail freight company, thereby becoming the second-largest freight railway in Germany. After signing the preliminary agreement last July, the transaction has now been finalized following approval from the relevant competition authorities.

(Rome/Troisdorf) “Our playing field does not end at national borders, but extends across Europe,” commented Carlo Palasciano, Chief International Officer of the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Group (FS). “With the completion of this transaction, we are getting closer to the role that the logistics division wants to play as a European logistics service provider. We have embarked on a growth path to increase the volume of goods transported by rail thanks to increasingly efficient connections to the national network and European rail corridors, to consolidate the integration of transport systems ship-rail-road, and to provide a competitive alternative to road transport across Europe.”

With the completion of this agreement, the logistics division now has a presence in 11 countries, including through the Exploris companies, such as Via Cargo, HSL Logistik, and Delta Rail, thereby strengthening the position of the FS Group in the European market by expanding transport options to and from Italy, which also benefits the import and export services of the Italian industry.

Strongly Focused on East-West Traffic

Exploris’ international rail connections, which are strongly focused on East-West traffic, complement the TX Logistik network, which already has a strong presence along the European North-South axis. The service network of Exploris spans eight countries (Germany, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, and Switzerland) and offers twelve direct connections. Additionally, the company provides shunting services in Germany and Poland and has its own training center for personnel.

The acquisition is part of the FS Group’s strategy to become a system operator at the European level through Mercitalia Logistics, pursuing a structured approach to generate international freight flows, expand the network, and activate new synergies. The transaction allows the logistics division to further expand its international business with the integration of the two German companies, which together generate revenues of around 500 million euros and employ more than 1,000 people. This increases the total number of employees in the logistics division in Europe to over 6,000.

Thanks to this agreement, Mercitalia Logistics strengthens its presence in Germany, the leading freight hub in Europe. In 2022, approximately 386 billion tons of goods were transported by rail there (source: Destatis), which corresponds to a rail market share of 19 percent. In Italy, this share is 11 percent, and the EU average is 17 percent. Furthermore, the countries where Exploris operates account for 34 percent of Italy’s imports and 26 percent of its exports.

Europe as Home Market

The FS Group considers Europe to be its home market, where it operates with various companies. Currently, it is represented in France with Trenitalia France and in Spain with Iryo in high-speed transport, in Greece with Hellenic Train in urban, suburban, medium, and long-distance transport, in Germany with Netinera, a regional passenger transport company, in the United Kingdom with c2c and Avanti West Coast, and in the Netherlands with Qbuzz, a road transport company. In addition, TX Logistik is present in the logistics sector. Outside of Europe, the company has long been active in engineering and certification. The development of the international strategy aims to increase group revenue from 1.6 billion euros in 2021 to around 5 billion euros by 2031.

Photo: © TX Logistik