Company - GATX Rail Europe

Company

We are a leading, full-service railcar lessor offering a high-quality and diversified fleet to over 20 European countries. With an experienced, service-oriented team, we are focused on making railcar leasing and rail transport simple, efficient, and seamless. Offering a single-entry contact person at your side, we deliver quick solutions to your transport challenges so you can focus your attention on your core business. Approximately 220 customers across various industries utilize GRE's more than 26 000 tank and freight railcars. We deliver an efficient, environmentally friendly, safe, and cost competitive solution relative to other transport modes. How? Check out our railcar fleet and leasing services to find out more.

GRE has strategically located offices across Europe for localized customer support, a state-of-the-art full-service maintenance and railcar assembly workshop in Poland, and long-standing relationships with numerous third-party maintenance workshops and railcar suppliers across the continent. GRE's headquarters are located in Vienna, Austria and the Company is part of GATX Corporation, our more than 120-year railcar lessor parent, traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE ticker: GATX).

GATX Corporation

Our parent, GATX Corporation was founded in 1898 and is based in Chicago, USA. The Company has become a leading global railcar lessor and strives to be recognized as the finest railcar leasing company in the world by its customers, shareholders, employees, and the communities where it operates. GATX Corporation owns railcar fleets in North America, Europe, and Asia with a fleet of more 140,000 railcars and approximately 600 locomotives.

With more than a century of operational experience and know-how, GATX offers its customers support and services at the highest standard. Visit GATX Corporation to find out more.

Our Company Milestones

1898

GATX Corporation founded in Chicago, USA as a railcar lessor

Over the years, the Company invested in and divested from industrial, financial and leasing businesses but since its founding has always considered railcar leasing as its core business. Fun fact: The company’s original investment over 120 years ago was to lease railcars to transport beer.

1950

Founding of Dyrekcja Eksploatacji Cystern Sp. z.o.o. (DEC)

Was founded as a state-owned logistics company that supported large, state-owned refineries in Poland, solving all track-bound transport needs.

1991

Founding of Kesselwagen Vermietgesellschaft mbH (KVG)

Was founded via acquisitions of more than 17.000 tank cars from former Eastern German railway KVG in Vienna and Hamburg.

1997

GATX becomes Minority Shareholding in KVG

During the restructuring of KVG, GATX Corporation bought approximately 40% of the shares in KVG. This was a major milestone for our presence and growth in Europe.

2002 & 2003

GATX acquires DEC and Integration of KVG

GATX acquired the DEC tank car fleet in Poland.
The following year GATX acquired the remaining shares of KVG and became its sole owner. At the same time, DEC was integrated into KVG. The result, GATX became one of the largest tank and mineral oil car owners in Europe.

2006

GATX Rail Europe is born

We’ve been around for much longer, but in 2006 we rebranded KVG Vienna, KVG Hamburg and DEC to become GATX Rail Europe. Our goal was to simplify our corporate structure and address our customers' needs under one strong brand.

2010

GATX Rail Europe becomes one

We reorganized our single, local entity activities to become a European company in which all entities work according to well-defined processes. Our priority: providing excellent customer service, no matter where in Europe your request initiates.

2014

GATX Rail France becomes another strategic hub

To keep our local service promise, we opened our office in Paris, France to serve our Western European customers based in Belgium and France.

2017

Freight Fleet Expansion

Our freight car strategy was first launched with a continued focus to diversify and grow our menu of car type offerings to our customers.

2019

Integration of WSO into GATX Rail Europe

WSO is our in-house maintenance and new car assembly workshop. The full integration of WSO helps to simplify administrative processes and leverage cross-functional capabilities.

2020

New office in Amsterdam to better deliver to our customers

GATX Rail Europe announces the opening of a new, strategically located office in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to provide excellent customer service and technical support to our customers in this region.

With over a century long history, it’s hard to pick just a few key milestones. Follow us on LinkedIn or check out our GATX news to find out more. We will be sharing a few bits and pieces of our history and important new milestones as they occur.