AUSTRIAN Federal Railways’ (ÖBB) passenger subsidiary ÖBB-Passenger has completed the purchase of Go-Ahead Group’s German rail business, Go-Ahead Germany, for an undisclosed amount.
The deal was cleared by the European Commission (EC) under European Union (EU) merger regulations in January.
ÖBB had already announced its acquisition plans in October, when it confirmed that Go-Ahead Germany will continue to act as an independent company.
Go-Ahead Germany currently holds five regional operating contracts in the south of the country. Three are in Baden-Württemberg and two are in Bavaria, accounting for approximately 10 million train-km per year in each state.
ÖBB is hoping to use these contracts as a springboard to expand its operations in Germany.
The purchase marks the complete withdrawal of Go-Ahead from the German rail market, though the company says that some trains will run with Go-Ahead branding for a short period of time.
“Go-Ahead continues to pursue opportunities for strategic expansion in both bus and rail in selected markets around the world,” says Mr Miguel Parras, CEO of The Go-Ahead Group.
“I’d like to pay tribute to the dedication and professionalism of all our colleagues in Germany over the last five years. We wish them well under the ownership of ÖBB.”
