The Asciano Group (ASX: AIO) will begin meetings today with bond investors in Asia and the United States. The first stop of the foreign trip is Singapore.

The Australian ports and rail operator is looking for investors to help fund the planned expansion of its coal-hauling business. The meetings with debt markets in Singapore, Hong Kong, and on the east and west coast of the United States will stretch over the next week.

Asciano managing director Mark Rowsthorn, group treasurer Michael Larkin and financial controller Michael Bradburn lead the team in briefing potential debt investors. The debt investors overseas will diversify Asciano's funding.

A diverse fund base would decrease Asciano's over reliance on bank debt ahead of the May 2012 maturity of a $US2.25 billion ($2.45bn) term loan. The company is also set to issue at least $500 million in bonds by the end of 2010.

The company will be supporting the expansion of the container capacity at the Swanson Dock in Victoria, as well as, the medium-term development of Geelong Port and the Port of Hastings. In a statement, the company favored a cooperative approach between government and the industry in order to prepare Victoria's ports for an increase in transport and freight needs in the next 12 years.