Support of Intesa Sanpaolo Group

Intesa Sanpaolo Group supports a €150+ million international transaction through Intesa Sanpaolo Paris and Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Slovenia, enabling a major step forward in sustainable rail freight transport across Central and Southeastern Europe

Slovenian Railways – Freight Transport (Slovenske železnice – Tovorni promet) has signed a contract with French multinational Alstom for the purchase of 30 new multi-system electric locomotives worth over €150 million. This strategic acquisition marks a significant advancement in the modernization and decarbonization of rail freight transport in the region. A key enabler of this international success story is the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, which supported the project through Intesa Sanpaolo Paris and Intesa Sanpoalo Bank Slovenia.

The locomotives, to be delivered by 2028, will operate across Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Serbia. Designed for higher efficiency and sustainability, they offer quieter operation, lower energy consumption, and will run exclusively on 100% renewable electricity—aligning with EU objectives for carbon-neutral transportation.

Alstom was selected through a public tender based on technical excellence and competitive pricing. For large-scale infrastructure projects such as this, banking institutions play a vital role by providing financial guarantees that mitigate risk and ensure contractual commitments are fulfilled.

The Intesa Sanpaolo Group contributed through a dual structure:

• Intesa Sanpaolo S.P.A. Paris Branch, serving as Alstom’s house bank, issued the counter-guarantees.
• Banka Intesa Sanpaolo d.d., Slovenia, based on received counter-guarantees issued two key guarantees:
  • An advance payment guarantee in the amount of €38 million
  • A performance bond in the amount of €18 million, making it the largest guarantee deal in the history of Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Slovenia.

These instruments provide financial assurance and reinforce Intesa Sanpaolo’s reputation as a reliable partner in delivering complex, cross-border, and sustainability-oriented projects.

About Slovenian Railways – Freight Transport:
A leading intermodal freight transport provider in Slovenia and beyond, SŽ-Tovorni promet connects Central and Northwestern Europe with Southeast Europe and Turkey. Through its strategic logistics hubs and presence on Europe’s core transport corridors, the company offers a full range of conventional and combined transport solutions.