GTS Rail

What GTS Rail does

GTS Rail S.p.A. is a private Italian freight rail traction operator founded in 2008 as the railway enterprise of the GTS Group, which traces its origins to 1977. The company provides rail freight traction services for both conventional and combined transport on Italy's RFI rail network, operating approximately 150 trains per week across national and international routes and traveling 3.5 million kilometers annually. It serves large industrial, manufacturing, and logistics customers — including multinational corporations — under multi-year B2B contracts governed by formal general terms and conditions.

The company's core technology is its owned fleet, which is the largest private locomotive fleet in Italy: 28 locomotives spanning E483, E494 Last Mile, E494, and E191 series, complemented by 600 railway wagons. Operations are supported by a 24/7 operations control room for continuous monitoring and rapid incident response, and customers access real-time train tracking, shipment history, and account management through the GTS Rail Track mobile app and an online customer portal. GTS Rail was the first Italian company to obtain the Single Safety Certificate from the European Union Agency for Railways, authorizing it to operate on the entire RFI network. Maintenance capabilities are integrated via the Rail Services subsidiary, which runs a rolling stock maintenance center offering mobile workshop, wheel re-profiling, and consulting services. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications.

GTS Rail's business model is a sales-led B2B enterprise model. Revenue is generated from contracted freight traction services billed under negotiated multi-year agreements; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is partially owned by the private equity/infrastructure fund Marguerite II and is led by CEO Pasquale Todisco, appointed in 2024 after 13 years as CFO of GTS Spa. With over €150 million invested since founding, GTS Rail ranks among the top four rail freight operators in Italy by traffic volume. The company secured €15 million in lease financing from UniCredit Leasing in November 2025 to acquire five new electric locomotives, reflecting ongoing fleet modernization and international route expansion, including its 2024 entry into the UK market via the Elizabeth Line contract.

Name

GTS Rail

Legal name

GTS Rail S.p.A.

Website

https://gtsrail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GTS Rail is a private Italian freight rail traction operator serving industrial, manufacturing, and logistics enterprises. It runs Italy's largest private locomotive fleet (28 units plus 600 wagons) across national and international routes, with 150 trains weekly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Rail Transportation Services

NAICS

Line-Haul Railroads (482111), Short Line Railroads (482112), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (488210)

SIC

Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Unit Train & Dedicated Contract Rail Services (TLADACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Domestic Rail Freight Forwarding (TLACADAA), Industrial & Terminal Railroads (Plant/Port Switching) (TLADACAJ)

Keywords

• Freight rail traction
• Rail freight transport
• Intermodal logistics
• Locomotive fleet operations
• Railway freight services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bari

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Freight Rail Traction Services: GTS Rail generates revenue by providing rail freight traction services on the Italian liberalized railway market since 2008. Services include conventional and combined freight transport, with the fleet operating over 140 trains per week on national and international routes. The company also derives value from locomotive leasing arrangements and long-term contracts with industrial clients.
2. Fleet Leasing and Financing: Revenue model includes financing arrangements for locomotive procurement, where UniCredit Leasing provides €15M lease financing for the purchase of five electric locomotives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GTS Rail provides freight rail traction services for goods transport on Italy's RFI network and international routes, operating as the railway enterprise of the GTS Group since 2008. The company runs over 140 trains per week using the largest private locomotive fleet in Italy (28 locomotives and 600 wagons), specializing in both conventional and combined (intermodal) freight transport. Services are backed by a 24/7 operations control room and a customer-facing mobile tracking application.

Product overview

GTS Rail operates as a platform providing freight rail traction services across Italy and internationally. The core offering consists of freight transport services (both conventional and combined) supported by an owned fleet of 28 locomotives and 600 wagons. The product portfolio includes a mobile tracking application (GTS Rail Track App) and customer portal for account management. With over 140 trains per week and operations on major domestic and international routes, GTS Rail ranks among the top four railway freight operators in Italy and holds the distinction of being the first Italian company to obtain the Single Safety Certificate for operating on the entire RFI network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Freight Rail Transport Services Traction services for goods transport on the Italian RFI network and international routes, covering both conventional and combined (intermodal) freight. Supported by a 24/7 Operations Control Room for continuous monitoring and rapid incident management, with over 140 trains per week operated.
• Railway Fleet (Locomotives and Wagons) Largest private locomotive fleet in Italy comprising 28 E483, E494 Last Mile, E494, and E191 series locomotive units, complemented by 600 railway wagons. The fleet supports national and international freight routes for traction services.
• GTS Rail Track App Official mobile application enabling GTS Rail customers to track train status, view real-time location and route on a map, access train details (number, date, departure station), and perform historical research of completed shipments.
• GTS Rail Customer Center (Area Clienti) Reserved area portal for GTS Rail enterprise customers to access account information, manage contracted freight services, and interact with the operations center.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140+ trains per week across national and international routes
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rail Academy s.r.l.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTS Rail signed a convention with Rail Academy s.r.l. (Bari, October 2023) for the joint training and hiring of polyfunctional agents. GTS Rail commits to hiring candidates from Rail Academy's training courses who pass evaluations, with top-ranked candidates receiving a €2,000 gross financial award and hiring commitment. The agreement covers training for Agents of Conduct (ADC) and Train Personnel (PDT).
• Rail Services (Subsidiary)coreOthersRail Services, a GTS Group subsidiary, manages one of the most advanced rolling stock maintenance centers in Italy, offering mobile workshop services, wheel re-profiling for locomotives, wagons and electric trains, pick-up and delivery services, and specialized consulting. This integrated maintenance capability supports GTS Rail's operational reliability.
• RFI (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana)coreOthersRFI is the Italian railway network infrastructure manager on which GTS Rail operates under its Single Safety Certificate. GTS Rail is the first Italian private operator to hold this certification enabling access to the entire RFI network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• InRail: InRail S.p.A. is an Italian private rail freight operator providing traction and logistics services across northern Italy and Europe. It is a direct peer to GTS Rail as a similarly-sized private Italian freight operator competing for industrial customers.
• Captrain Italia: Captrain Italia is a private freight rail operator in Italy and part of the French Captrain (SNCF) group. It directly competes with GTS Rail for industrial and intermodal freight customers on the Italian rail network under similar liberalized market conditions.
• DB Cargo Italia: DB Cargo Italia is the Italian subsidiary of DB Cargo (Deutsche Bahn) and operates freight rail services in Italy. It competes with GTS Rail for enterprise freight traction contracts and brings European incumbent backing, making it a direct peer in the same liberalized market.
• Rail Traction Company (RTC): RTC is an Italian private freight rail operator jointly owned by Italian and Austrian rail interests, providing freight traction services in Italy. Comparable to GTS Rail in scale, customer profile, and operating model as a private competitor on the RFI network.

Others

• GATX: GATX is a global railcar lessor providing freight wagons and locomotives on lease. Comparable to GTS Rail as an adjacent rail industry participant; the leasing model overlaps with GTS Rail's fleet financing approach (e.g., UniCredit Leasing) and wagon fleet operations.
• Vossloh: Vossloh is a European rail infrastructure and rolling stock services provider, including rail maintenance, components, and locomotives. Comparable to GTS Rail's Rail Services subsidiary and integrated maintenance capability, and adjacent in the rail supply chain.

Broad incumbents

• Mercitalia Rail: Mercitalia Rail is the state-owned freight rail arm of FS Italiane and the dominant freight rail operator in Italy. It is comparable to GTS Rail as it provides line-haul freight rail services on the same RFI network, but operates at a much larger scale as an incumbent.
• SBB Cargo: SBB Cargo is the freight rail division of Swiss Federal Railways, operating cross-border freight services into Italy and across Europe. Comparable to GTS Rail in providing freight rail traction across European corridors, though operating at a larger scale as a state-backed incumbent.

Regional players

• Lineas: Lineas is the largest private rail freight operator in Belgium and a major European freight traction provider. Comparable to GTS Rail as a large private European freight rail operator with similar customer profile and cross-border traction services, though operating primarily in Benelux and Germany.
• TX Logistik: TX Logistik is a European rail freight operator owned by the Italian FS Group, active across Germany and neighboring markets. Comparable to GTS Rail for its cross-border intermodal traction services and similar enterprise customer focus, though primarily active in German-speaking markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GTS Rail