THE European Commission (EC) has approved under European Union (EU) merger regulations the acquisition of the German activities of British public transport group Go-Ahead by Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) subsidiary ÖBB-Passenger.
The EC concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns given the companies’ limited combined market position resulting from the proposed transaction.
An ÖBB spokesperson told IRJ that closing on the deal is expected by the end of January.
Go-Ahead Germany holds three regional operating contracts in Baden-Württemberg and two in Bavaria, accounting for approximately 10 million train-km per year in each state. It began operating in Baden-Württemberg in 2019, followed by Bavaria in 2021.
On announcing the planned disposal in October, ÖBB confirmed that Go-Ahead Germany will continue to act as an independent company and will operate its existing contracts under the current management team, led by Mr Fabian Amini, managing director of Go-Ahead Germany.
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