Siemens, Alstom rail merger triggers EU concerns and investigation
Posted on Friday July 13, 2018
Siemens and Alstom's plan to create a Franco-German rail champion could reduce competition and lead to higher fares for travellers, EU antitrust regulators said on Friday as they opened a full-scale investigation into the deal. German industrial group Siemens and French rival Alstom announced the planned rail merger in September last year, an industrial boost for French President Emmanuel Macron which, however, has triggered criticism from opposition politicians. Paris said the tie-up would protect jobs but critics fear French loss of control of the iconic TGV high-speed train.
EU antitrust regulators to investigate Siemens, Alstom rail merger
Posted on Friday July 13, 2018
EU antitrust regulators opened an in-depth investigation on Friday into a plan by Siemens and Alstom to merge their rail businesses, saying that the deal could reduce competition for trains and signalling ...
[$$] EU probe threatens train deal between Alstom and Siemens
Posted on Thursday July 12, 2018
between Siemens’ mobility unit and Alstom, indicating that the deal to create a pan-European “Railbus” may struggle to secure competition approval. In a strongly worded statement opening an in-depth review, the European Commission warned that the tie-up might create a trainmaker with enough market power to harm competition, raise prices, and reduce choice. Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition commissioner, said the proposed deal could “deprive European rail operators of a choice of suppliers and innovative products” and lead to price rises that “ultimately harm the millions of Europeans who use rail transportation”.
[$$] EU warns Siemens-Alstom deal ‘could harm millions’ of passengers
Posted on Thursday July 12, 2018
Brussels initiated an in-depth review on Friday of the proposed merger between Siemens’ mobility unit and Alstom, adding some uncertainty to whether the pan-European “Railbus” will be allowed to go toe-to-toe with China’s state-backed operator CRRC.
