Rail First Asset Management (RailFirst), formerly known as CFCL Australia (CFCLA, Chicago Freight Car Leasing), is an Australian rolling stock leasing company operating in the rail freight market. It leases assets to a number of private rail operators, predominantly on the defined interstate rail network.
Though primarily based in New South Wales, RailFirst's assets can be found operating in most Australian states and with all major train operating companies. It has rolling stock on both long-term lease to those companies as well as assets that are available for spot hire. It is owned by DIF Capital Partners and Amber Infrastructure.
Rail First has workshops in Islington Adelaide and Goulburn in regional NSW where it maintains its owned rollingstock in house and the rollingstock of third parties.
History
Rail First Asset Management was originally established in 1998 by the American Chicago Freight Car Leasing Company as CFCL Australia. The company's first contract was for the supply of a small fleet of radio-controlled automated ballast hoppers to Westrail. During November 1998, the company acquired its first locomotives in the form of 13 EL class locomotives, which were obtained from Australian National.[1][2]