Corelink Rail Infrastructure Ltd commissioned The Hub to conduct commercial due diligence on the sale of their fleet comprising 324 Alstom Class 730 Aventra EMU and 80 CAF Class 196 DMU cars leased to operator West Midlands Trains (WMT). Together this fleet represents 60% of WMT’s network operations and the acquisition by Porterbrook of this core fleet was announced at the start of 2026, solidifying an ongoing partnership between Porterbrook and WMT.

Corelink was established in 2017 as a joint venture between Infracapital and DWS, driven by the need to modernise fleet on services between London, Birmingham and Liverpool. This fleet aligns with the UK Department for Transport objectives to decarbonise fleet and improve passenger experience, by delivering higher capacity and more reliable services.

Ben Wilson, Senior Strategic Advisor commented “We are proud to have supported Corelink in the sale of this critical fleet for West Midlands Trains. Drawing on our global experience in rolling stock advisory, we remain uniquely positioned to deliver exceptional support for complex transactions, while continuing to grow and strengthen our team.”