Germany: Rail suppliers issued antitrust fines

July 5, 2012
Germany's Federal Cartel Office has fined four companies including a subsidiary of steel giant ThyssenKrupp AG a total of $156.37 million for colluding over track orders.

Germany's Federal Cartel Office has fined four companies including a subsidiary of steel giant ThyssenKrupp AG a total of €124.5 million ($156.37 million) for colluding over track orders.

The agency says it fined ThyssenKrupp GfT Gleistechnik GmbH €103 million for colluding with other firms to share orders for railway tracks from Deutsche Bahn. Germany's state-owned railway operator.

Stahlberg Roensch GmbH, a subsidiary of German firm Vossloh, was fined €13 million. Two subsidiaries of Austrian company Voestalpine, which had alerted authorities to the antitrust activities, received fines totaling €8.5 million.

The four companies can appeal the decision in court.

The antitrust office said Thursday that more companies are under investigation and it will extend its probe to other areas of the rail track business.