Italian rail giant Salcef Group has acquired Pilbara Rail Maintenance (PRM) in a $180 million private transaction, marking one of the most significant international entries into Australia’s heavy rail infrastructure sector in recent years.
The acquisition will see PRM gain access to Salcef’s industrial network, including engineering and equipment manufacturing hubs such as SRT in Fano and Schieppe, and Overail, which produces sleepers, slab tracks, and tunnel segments for projects across Europe.
The acquisition unites Salcef’s global engineering and manufacturing might with PRM’s deep local experience in maintaining and constructing some of Australia’s most vital heavy haul networks including those servicing Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) and BHP (ASX:BHP).
Under the deal, Salcef will retain PRM’s 300-strong workforce and management team, including founders Chris Prior, Chelsea Herman, and Ian Abbot, signalling a strong commitment to local capability and continuity.
Legal and advisory services for PRM were provided by Hamilton Locke, Infrastructure Asset Group, and JLC Associates.
Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Karratha in Western Australia, PRM has long been a major national rail maintenance company delivering high-volume rail maintenance and construction programs across Australia’s mining and industrial heartlands.
“With the backing of Salcef, PRM will transform the delivery of rail maintenance in Australia,” says founding Director Chris Prior.
“Our partnership came together through two shared values – technical excellence and safety. Together we can deliver larger projects with new technologies and methodologies that, until now, have only been deployed in Europe.”
For Salcef Group, the deal represents a strategic gateway into Australia’s public and private rail networks and particularly the Pilbara’s iron ore corridors, among the heaviest-used rail systems in the world.
Salcef CEO Valeriano Salciccia says PRM stands out as a “first-class operator with an unrivalled safety record”.
“They are first movers in rail safety and innovation, having brought several industry-leading equipment advancements to market and reshaped how the iron ore sector maintains its rail infrastructure,” says Salciccia.
Salcef operates across 18 companies and eight business units globally, reported $1.54 billion in turnover in 2024, and employs more than 2,200 people worldwide.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: PRM
