What CARGOUNIT does

CARGOUNIT Sp. z o.o. is a Polish locomotive rental and leasing company founded in 2003 and headquartered in Wrocław, operating the largest fleet in Central and Eastern Europe with over 240 locomotives, including more than 140 electric units. The fleet spans modern multi-system electric locomotives (Siemens Vectron MS, Bombardier TRAXX MS, NEWAG Dragon 2, PESA Gama Marathon) capable of cross-border operations across 12 European countries, alongside diesel and last-mile hybrid units for shunting and non-electrified routes. The company serves rail freight carriers, intermodal operators, and industrial shippers in petrochemical, chemical, energy, construction materials, and metallurgy verticals, offering full-service lease for modern units and mixed-service lease for used units, complemented by certified ECM (Entity in Charge of Maintenance) services covering all four regulatory functions.

The business model is subscription-recurring: customers pay periodic lease fees for locomotive access, eliminating the capital expenditure burden of fleet ownership. Pricing is quote-based, varying by locomotive type, lease duration, and service level, and is not publicly disclosed. CARGOUNIT maintains technical availability above 95% on modern rolling stock, supported by qualified workshops, mobile services, and manufacturer service locations. The go-to-market is direct enterprise B2B sales, with formal tender and procurement processes, a dedicated sales department, and long-term partnerships with more than 40 carriers across the region.

The company has been backed by private equity since 2016 — initially by Abris Capital Partners, then from 2020 by the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund (advised by Amber Infrastructure Group). CARGOUNIT has executed an aggressive fleet renewal strategy, contracting up to 195 new locomotives between 2019 and 2024 across multiple OEMs and securing approximately PLN 171 million in EU grants for sustainable and interoperable transport projects. Management comprises President Łukasz Boroń (former CEO of PKP Cargo), CFO Piotr Szymkowiak, and COO Rafał Hejmo (former DB Cargo Polska executive), bringing deep rail-industry and financial expertise.

Name

CARGOUNIT

Legal name

CARGOUNIT Sp. z o.o.

Website

https://cargounit.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CARGOUNIT is the largest locomotive rental and leasing company in Central and Eastern Europe, operating 240+ multi-system and diesel locomotives leased to 50+ rail freight carriers across 12 European countries, backed by Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rail Locomotive Leasing

NAICS

Commercial Air, Rail, and Water Transportation Equipment Rental and Leasing (532411)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Freight Yard Operations (Classification, Hump & Flat Yards) (TLAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Locomotive leasing
• Rail freight services
• Electric locomotives
• Rolling stock rental
• Multisystem locomotives

Headquarters

HQ city

Wrocław

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Locomotive Rental and Leasing: Primary revenue stream from renting and leasing locomotives to railway freight carriers. The company offers full-service lease for modern locomotives and mixed-service lease for used locomotives, providing flexible arrangements tailored to customer needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CARGOUNIT rents and leases locomotives to railway freight carriers across Central and Eastern Europe, operating a fleet of over 240 locomotives (140+ electric multi-system units and diesel units) approved in 12 countries. It offers full-service lease for modern locomotives and mixed-service lease for used locomotives, complemented by Entity in Charge of Maintenance (ECM) services covering all four maintenance functions and P1–P5 technical inspection/repair services.

Product overview

CARGOUNIT operates as a locomotive rental and leasing company offering the largest fleet in Central and Eastern Europe with over 240 locomotives. The core product portfolio consists of two main locomotive categories: over 140 electric locomotives (including multi-system VECTRON MS, TRAXX MS, DRAGON 2, and others) and diesel locomotives (including SM42, GRIFFIN, M62, BR232, and various Skoda models). The company provides two service models: Full-Service Lease for modern locomotives and Mixed-Service Lease for used locomotives, complemented by certified ECM (Entity in Charge of Maintenance) services covering all four functions, and technical inspection services (P1-P5 levels). Locomotives are available for various operational requirements across 12 European countries including Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Locomotive Fleet Rental

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 95% technical availability of modern rolling stock
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• SIEMENS MobilitycoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor locomotive supplier providing Vectron MS multi-system locomotives. Contract signed in 2019 for 5 units, 2021 for 30 units, and 2024 for up to 100 units.
• PESA (Południowy Express Autobusowy / PESA Bydgoszcz)coreTechnology or IntegrationPolish locomotive manufacturer supplying Gama Marathon locomotives. Contract signed in 2022 for 30 units.
• NEWAGcoreTechnology or IntegrationPolish locomotive manufacturer supplying Dragon 2 locomotives. Contract signed in 2023 for 30 units.
• ALSTOMstrategicTechnology or IntegrationLeading European rolling stock manufacturer; CARGOUNIT acquires modern locomotives from ALSTOM as part of fleet expansion strategy.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Eversholt Rail: Eversholt Rail is a UK rolling stock leasing company focused on passenger and freight trains. It is a comparable lessor in business model, scale, and reliance on OEM procurement partnerships for fleet expansion.
• Akiem: Akiem is a French locomotive leasing company operating a large fleet of electric and diesel locomotives across Europe. It serves freight and passenger operators with similar leasing models (full-service and custom maintenance) and competes directly with CARGOUNIT for cross-border rail customers.
• Angel Trains: Angel Trains is a major UK rolling stock lessor leasing trains to passenger and freight operators. It represents a parallel large-scale lessor with similar workshop/maintenance capabilities and long-term lease economics.
• Mitsui Rail Capital Europe (MRCE): MRCE is a European locomotive leasing company majority-owned by Mitsui & Co, leasing multi-system locomotives to freight and passenger operators across continental Europe. It is a direct competitor to CARGOUNIT in the multi-system locomotive leasing segment.
• Porterbrook: Porterbrook is a UK-based rolling stock leasing company that owns and leases passenger and freight trains. While UK-focused, it is a structurally comparable rolling stock lessor with similar full-service lease economics and regulatory certification requirements.
• Alpha Trains: Alpha Trains is a European rolling stock leasing company based in Luxembourg, leasing locomotives and passenger trains to operators across continental Europe. It is the most direct competitor to CARGOUNIT in the European locomotive leasing market, with a comparable multi-country, multi-system fleet focus.
• Beacon Rail Leasing: Beacon Rail Leasing is a European rolling stock lessor with diversified portfolios including freight wagons and locomotives. It competes with CARGOUNIT in the European rail freight leasing market with comparable full-service offerings.

Broad incumbents

• GATX Corporation: GATX is a global railcar leasing company headquartered in Chicago, primarily operating in North America. It is a broader incumbent in rail equipment leasing with overlapping business model and long-term lease structure, though it focuses mainly on freight railcars rather than locomotives.

Regional players

• IDS Cargo: IDS Cargo is a Czech private rail freight operator that also leases locomotives. It is a regional peer in Central Europe with overlapping customer base and is itself a customer of CARGOUNIT-type leasing providers.

Others

• DB Cargo leasing arm (formerly DB Schenker Rail): DB Cargo is a major European rail freight operator which has historically spun off leasing activities. Its former Polish subsidiary (DB Cargo Polska) is where CARGOUNIT's COO previously worked. It is an ecosystem peer representing both a potential competitor and a key customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cargounitpl

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 CARGOUNIT