THE plan to restructure Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland has been confirmed by the District Court of Berlin-Charlottenburg.
A creditors’ meeting had previously voted unanimously to accept the plan to secure the future of the company which is based in Halle. Under an agreement with Saxony-Anhalt transport authority NASA, the Thuringian State Office for Construction and Transport (TLBV) and Leipzig Local Transport Authority ZVNL, Abellio will continue to operate the Saale-Thuringia-South Harz Network (STS) until the scheduled expiry of the contract in 2030, while the Saxony-Anhalt diesel network (Disa) will be terminated in 2024 following a two-year handover period, which will allow time to launch a new tender to operate the network.
Abellio will not take part in the tender, and employees and rolling stock will be transferred to the new operator to ensure a smooth transition.
Abellio came under financial pressure due to structural problems in the German local rail passenger transport market and on June 30 2021 applied for restructuring under legal protection.
“The rehabilitation process has cleared the decisive hurdle,” says Mr Rolf Schafferath, CEO of Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland. “Thanks to the agreement with the authorities and the continued commitment of the shareholder, Abellio can take off with renewed vigour.”
“This solution ensures an orderly transition,” says Saxony-Anhalt minister for infrastructure and digital affairs, Dr Lydia Hüskens. “A clear perspective is apparent for passengers and staff.”
