Northrail appoints Björn Schwarten as Chief Financial Officer

Northrail, leasing provider, manager and developer of innovative investments for rail vehicles, welcomes Björn Schwarten to its management board as Chief Financial Officer. From 1 November 2025, he will be responsible for the further development of the company together with Dr Volker Simmering, Chief Executive Officer.

Hamburg, 17 July 2025 – Björn Schwarten has almost 20 years of experience in the financial sector and therefore has in-depth expertise in finance. His many years of experience at VTG GmbH, Europe's leading freight wagon leasing company, most recently as Head of Finance and interim Chief Financial Officer, have also given him the necessary experience in the rail sector. In his new role at Northrail, he will be responsible for the Finance, Accounting and Controlling departments. Until now, Dr Volker Simmering has been responsible for this function within the management team, who will in future concentrate fully on his responsibilities as Chief Executive Officer.

‘With the appointment of Björn Schwarten as Chief Financial Officer, we are taking an important step in the strategic development of our company,’ says Dr Volker Simmering, Chief Executive Officer of Northrail. 'His extensive experience in the financing of railway assets and his excellent expertise in the areas of controlling and reporting will make a valuable contribution to shaping our ongoing and sustainable growth. We are very much looking forward to the new impetus he will bring.’

Björn Schwarten is also looking forward to his new position: ‘I am very much looking forward to becoming part of Northrail and shaping the next development steps together with the entire team. The railway industry is changing. I am convinced that our strong financial structure and entrepreneurial foresight put us in an excellent position to actively shape this change and fully utilise our entrepreneurial potential.’

RIVE Private Investment, Northrail's parent company, has expressed its strong support for the management team’s expansion. ‘By creating the new position of Chief Financial Officer, Northrail is reinforcing both its organisational and strategic positioning to support its future growth,’ said Camille Brunel, Partner Transportation Assets at RIVE Private Investment. ‘With Björn Schwarten, we are bringing on board a highly experienced financial expert to effectively navigate operational complexities and the dynamic evolution of financial management.’

Northrail is one of Europe's leading rolling stock leasing companies, asset managers and developers of innovative rolling stock investments. Northrail manages a portfolio of approximately 430 vehicles, including around 250 locomotives and around 180 multiple units and passenger coaches, for freight and passenger transport in Europe, with an investment volume of close to 1.5 billion euros. Northrail's managed fleet includes state-of-the-art electric, dual-mode and hybrid locomotives, battery-powered regional trains, as well as traditional shunting and universal locomotives. Northrail also develops tailor-made leasing services for its clients and organizes the maintenance of leased vehicles based on its ECM I to III licence. Northrail, headquartered in Hamburg (Germany), currently employs around 50 people and is a subsidiary of RIVE Private Investment, an independent European investment firm with offices in Paris, Luxembourg, and Geneva, specializing in transportation assets and energy transition.