On I September, GATX Rail Europe officially opened the GATX Training Academy Campus in Lehrte, Germany, our new center for safety instruction, technical trainings, and hands-on learning. Just two days later, the first Height Safety Training took place, marking the start of a new chapter in how we transfer expertise across the company.

Safety first
Safety is at the heart of everything we do. The GATX Training Academy Campus in Lehrte provides a controlled environment where our teams can train on the railcar without the operational constraints of a workshop. From height safety and tank entry to cleanliness level training, brake systems, and onboarding, the Lehrte site allows us to help ensure best practices are learned, tested, and applied.

Passing on technical know-how & sharing experience
With staff onboardings combined with new technical developments in our industry and increasing technical consulting needs from customers and third parties, structured technical training is essential. The GATX Training Academy enables experienced colleagues and trainers to share technical expertise directly with our teams, not just through theory, but by working together on real equipment. This helps ensure our high service standards are sustained, leverages the technical know-how across the organization, and makes the next generation of railcar professionals technically ready for future.

From vision to reality
Months of preparation went into making the GATX Training Academy and the Campus in Lehrte a reality. This included the refurbishment of a dedicated tank railcar, which is now stationed at the site, and developing a structured, job-based technical training approach. This ensures that our employees have the right technical skills required for their jobs. It’s a space that relieves pressure on workshops, keeps training discussions private, and makes learning possible in all weather conditions.

“Safety is our top priority. Skills matter and knowledge must be shared,” said Johann Feindert, CEO of GATX Rail Europe. “The GATX Training Academy gives us the space to train, to learn, and to keep our expertise on track for the future.” By bringing training in-house, our teams gain hands-on experience in a controlled setting while also creating a platform for continuous knowledge transfer across our network.

A heartfelt thank you to the dedicated project team who transformed the Lehrte hall into a fully equipped learning environment and developed the right training concept to link theory to practice. The photos tell the story: the GATX Training Academy is open, and our people are ready to learn.