What SDH FER does

SDH FER, operating commercially as Groupe Millet, is a France-based private railway freight services provider headquartered in St Denis de l'Hôtel. The company offers an integrated suite of rail logistics solutions targeting industrial freight shippers of bulk commodities in France and, by virtue of a multilingual website (French, English, German), potentially broader European markets. Its service stack spans the full value chain: rental of specialized wagons (gas, petroleum/chemical, cereal, and aggregate variants) and locomotives (Vossloh and BB63500 models), maintenance services for both wagons and locomotives, railway wagon construction, traction (train operations), and a bundled "full service" package that combines these capabilities for industrial clients.

The business is built on a capital-intensive asset model: SDH FER owns and operates a diversified specialized rolling-stock fleet, supported by in-house maintenance and construction capabilities that enable vertical control over asset lifecycle and operational reliability. The go-to-market is a direct B2B sales motion aimed at industrial enterprise customers requiring eco-responsible rail transport for hazardous, agricultural, and aggregate bulk goods. The company distinguishes itself through an explicit sustainability positioning (eco-responsible transport, a dedicated sustainable development program, and industry certifications) and complementary operational features including geolocation tracking and participation in consortium ENTREPId. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

The firm operates with a lean organization of approximately 12 employees and no disclosed parent, public listing, funding rounds, M&A activity, or investor backing. Ownership structure and financial details are not evidenced in available source material. As of the 2021-2025 operating period referenced on the company website, the business is active and maintains its full multi-service offering without disclosed expansion, contraction, or strategic restructuring signals.

Name

SDH FER

Legal name

Groupe millet

Website

https://sdhfer.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SDH FER (Groupe Millet) is a France-based private rail freight services provider offering integrated wagon and locomotive rental, maintenance, construction, traction, and full-service solutions to industrial shippers of bulk commodities such as gas, chemicals, cereals, and aggregates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rail Freight Services

NAICS

Rail Transportation (482), Short Line Railroads (482112)

SIC

Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011), Railroad Equipment (3743)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Consolidation & Deconsolidation (LCL/Groupage) (TLACADAD)

Keywords

• Rail freight transport
• Wagon rental services
• Locomotive rental
• Railway maintenance services
• Rail traction services

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

SDH FER (Groupe Millet) is a French railway freight transport operator that rents wagons and locomotives to industrial shippers and provides maintenance, construction, traction, and full-service rail transport solutions. The company operates a specialized fleet covering gas, oil/chemical, grain, and aggregate bulk goods, plus Vossloh and BB63500 locomotives, with integrated geolocation tracking.

Product overview

Groupe Millet operates as a railway transport services provider offering an integrated suite of rail logistics solutions. The company operates on a platform-plus-services model, providing wagon and locomotive rental as the core offerings, supported by maintenance, construction, traction, and full-service packages. Their fleet includes specialized wagons for gas, oil and chemicals, grain, and aggregates, as well as Vossloh and BB63500 locomotives. Services are available through individual bookings or bundled full-service packages for comprehensive rail transport solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wagon Rental (Location de wagons) Rental services for railway wagons, including gas wagons, oil and chemical wagons, grain wagons, aggregate wagons, and other specialized wagons, offered to industrial freight shippers.
• Locomotive Rental (Location de locomotives) Rental services for locomotives, including Vossloh and BB63500 models, offered to industrial clients needing rail traction assets.
• Wagon Maintenance (Maintenance de wagons) Maintenance services for railway wagons to ensure operational safety and regulatory compliance.
• Locomotive Maintenance (Maintenance de locomotives) Maintenance services for locomotives to ensure operational reliability.
• Construction (Railway Wagon Construction) Railway wagon construction services for building new rolling stock.
• Railway Traction (Traction ferroviaire) Railway traction services for operating trains on rail networks.
• Full Service (Full service) Comprehensive railway solutions combining rental, maintenance, traction, and other services into a single bundled offering for industrial freight clients.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Vossloh AG: Vossloh is a German rail infrastructure and rail vehicles group with divisions covering rail fasteners, switch systems, and formerly locomotive manufacturing (the Vossloh locomotives referenced in Groupe Millet's fleet). It is a broad incumbent peer because the Vossloh locomotive brand directly intersects with Groupe Millet's rental fleet, and Vossloh's broader rail services portfolio operates in adjacent rail infrastructure markets.
• GATX: GATX is a global railcar lessor headquartered in the US, operating one of the world's largest fleets of railcars serving industrial shippers across multiple continents. It is a broad incumbent peer to Groupe Millet because both compete in rail freight wagon leasing, though GATX operates at vastly greater scale and global footprint than the regional French player.
• DB Cargo: DB Cargo is the European rail freight arm of Deutsche Bahn, one of the largest rail freight operators in Europe with a pan-European network. It is a broad incumbent peer to Groupe Millet because both operate rail freight services across European industrial corridors, though DB Cargo competes at significantly larger scale and with broader modal coverage than the regional French operator.
• SNCF Fret: SNCF Fret is the rail freight subsidiary of SNCF, the French national railway, operating freight trains across France and Europe. It is a broad incumbent peer to Groupe Millet because both provide rail freight traction and logistics to French industrial shippers, though SNCF Fret operates at dramatically greater scale and benefits from incumbency in the home French market.

Direct peers

• Akiem: Akiem is a French-headquartered European rail services platform offering locomotive traction, rolling stock leasing, and maintenance to freight and passenger operators. It is a direct peer to Groupe Millet because both operate as independent French traction providers with their own locomotive fleets serving industrial freight shippers across Europe.
• Alpha Trains: Alpha Trains is a major European rolling stock leasing company providing locomotives and passenger/freight trains to operators across the continent. It is a direct peer to Groupe Millet because both lease locomotives (including types used for freight traction) and rail vehicles to operators and industrial customers, with overlapping European geographies.
• Touax Rail: Touax Rail is a French-headquartered rail freight wagon and intermodal leasing specialist operating across Europe, North America, and Africa. It is a direct peer to Groupe Millet because both provide wagon rental for bulk commodities (including cereals and industrial goods) and target industrial freight shippers with leasing-led commercial models.
• Ermewa: Ermewa is one of Europe's largest rail freight wagon lessors, operating a large fleet of tank, covered, and open wagons leased to industrial shippers and rail operators. It is a direct peer to Groupe Millet because both offer wagon rental services (including specialised gas, chemical, and bulk wagons) to European industrial customers as a core revenue line.
• Captrain (formerly VFLI): Captrain is a European rail freight operator owned by SNCF, providing traction, wagon rental, and integrated rail logistics for industrial customers across multiple countries. It is a direct peer to Groupe Millet because both deliver rail traction services and full-service freight operations to industrial shippers of bulk goods in France and Europe.
• Beacon Rail Leasing: Beacon Rail is a European rolling stock lessor providing locomotives, freight wagons, and passenger units to operators across the continent. It is a direct peer to Groupe Millet because both lease rolling stock (including freight wagons and locomotives) to rail freight operators and industrial customers, with overlapping European customer segments.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sdh-fer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SDH FER