By Nathan Allen 
 

Shareholders in Alstom SA (ALO.FR) voted in favor of the proposed merger with Siemens AG's (SIE.XE) mobility division, the company said Tuesday.

The French train maker agreed to the merger in 2017 in an effort to meet the challenge of increased pressure from Asian competitors, primarily China's CRRC Corp. (1766.HK).

However, the deal has provoked controversy in France, where some politicians are reluctant to give up an industrial crown jewel, and in Brussels, where EU regulators recently opened an antitrust investigation into the transaction.

Alstom said it still expects the deal to close in the first half of 2019.

Write to Nathan Allen at nathan.allen@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 17, 2018 12:18 ET (16:18 GMT)