UK press releases

DSB acquires fifty per cent of German train operator

DSB has acquired 50 per cent of the railway company VIAS GmbH, which is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. This co-ownership of VIAS will form a bridgehead for DSB's future activities in Germany, which is one of Europe's largest tendering markets. DSB will use VIAS' knowhow and experience with train services, when preparing bids in Germany in 2010 and in the coming years.

Prior to the acquisition, DSB set up its own organisation with an office in Düsseldorf, which presently has six employees.

Till date, VIAS has been owned jointly by the traffic company Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main mbH (VGF) and the operator Rurtalbahn GmbH. Now, DSB takes over VGF’s share in VIAS, while the remaining 50 per cent of the company's shares remain with Rurtalbahn.

»VIAS is a well run company and the acquisition fits in well with DSB's international strategy and offers new growth potential in Europe's largest market for rail passenger transport. We also look forward to working together with VIAS' other owner, Rurtalbahn and servicing our customers in Hessen and Rheinland-Pfalz,« says DSB's CEO Søren Eriksen.

Since 2005, VIAS has operated the Odenwaldbahn in the Frankfurt area and from December this year, VIAS will also be operating the Rheingau line, which runs along the Rhine from Frankfurt to Koblenz. The two contracts, which comprise 4.1 million train kilometres a year and cover 356 kilometres, expires in 2015 and 2023, respectively.

»VIAS is headquartered in Germany's fifth largest city, Frankfurt am Main, which is located in a central and strategically important part of Germany in light of DSB's coming bid activities in the German market,« says Søren Eriksen.

VIAS will become DSB’s operating company in Germany, but at the same time DSB is planning to participate in coming tenders in partnership with VIAS' parent company RATH already this year and this will be carried out from DSB's office in Düsseldorf.

»With the entry in the Germany market, DSB is now building on the success we have already achieved in Sweden, which we see as our second home market. Even though the German market is very complex and different from the Swedish market, our strategy in Germany may well be compared to the strategy we have also used in Sweden. We start on a small scale to acquaint ourselves with the market, and with the new co-ownership, we gain a quick foothold and thereby create the best possible platform for future growth,« says Søren Eriksen.

Thus, in 2009 DSB won two additional franchises in Sweden - the Gothenburg services and Krösatåg in Nässjö. The two franchises were added to the services which DSB is already operating in Sweden, i.e. the Swedish part of the Øresund services and the Roslagsbanan in Stockholm. This means that by the end of 2010, DSB is operating more train kilometres in Sweden than in Denmark, and close to every fourth DSB customer will be Swedish.

The formal approval procedures in connection with the acquisition are expected to be completed before the end of May.

Fact sheet

• DSB owns 50 per cent of VIAS GmbH. Rurtalbahn GmbH owns the remaining 50 per cent
• VIAS GmbH is a subsidiary of Rurtalbahn GmbH, which is a subsidiary of RATH GmbH
• DSB has an office in Düsseldorf which is staffed with six German specialists
• The Odenwaldbahn (contract till 2015). A production of 2 billion train kilometres annually on a network, which is 220 kilometres and has 33 stations. The operation includes 24 new diesel trains, type ITINO, and VIAS is responsible for maintaining and cleaning the trains at the company's workshop at Michelstadt.  
• From December 2010 the Rheingau operation. The production includes 2.1 million train kilometres a year. The line runs from Frankfurt to Koblenz and comprises 136 kilometres. The network has 27 stations. The operation will use 19 new, modern, electric trains of the FLIRT type, and VIAS is responsible for maintaining and cleaning the trains. The contract expires in 2023.

For further information please contact DSB Communication on +45 2468 0000.

Yours sincerely,

DSB

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