Rome, 23 December 2015
Three-hundred million of euro for the purchase of new regional trains.
This is the purpose of the agreement signed today between Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and the European Investment Bank.
The EIB - for the first time in Europe - will finance a project by purchasing a corporate bond. The EIB subscribes a Euro 300 million bond under the FS EMTN Programme, the note is a floating rate with a 10 year maturity.
The proceeds will fund the acquisition of new regional rolling stocks in Lazio, Toscana, Veneto, Piemonte and Liguria: 49 single-deck car 250 double-deck coaches.
This project meets the initiatives considered by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) which is one of the pillars of the Investment Plan for Europe (sc. Juncker Plan) that aims to revive investment in strategic projects around Europe in order to ensure support to the real economy.
The note got the same Issuer rating from Fitch (BBB+) and S&P’s (BBB-) and it is part of the Euro 4.5 billion EMTN Program as updated on last December 21st.
“This new financing, entirely reserved to trains for commuters, shows concretely that the focus for regional transportation is at the top of our priorities - commented Renato Mazzoncini, FS’ CEO. The fact that FS has been chosen by the EIB for a type of financing never used so far by the bank, is the proof of the strength and reliability that FS Group has on international markets”.