By Nicky Redl
German anti-trust authorities Tuesday fined a unit of steelmaker
ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA.XE) 88 million euros as part of an
investigation into a rail cartel that operated over a decade.
Seven other companies were fined a total of EUR9.6 million, with
a unit of Austria's Voestalpine AG (VOE.VI) bearing the brunt.
"With the fines imposed today, we penalize price and customer
protection agreements that came at the expense of public transport
companies, private, regional and industrial railways and
construction companies," said Andreas Mundt, president of the
German Cartel Office.
The agreements among the companies were intended to divide
tenders and projects among the cartel members, he said, adding the
members often knew in advance who would win a contract.
"The cartel included the product areas rails, points and
sleepers between 2001 and 2011," Mr. Mundt said.
The fines do not involve agreements affecting national rail
company Deutsche Bahn AG, which were addressed in a previous
investigation.
Besides the EUR88 million fine on ThyssenKrupp GfT Gleistechnik
GmbH, the office imposed a EUR6.4 million on Voestalpine BWG
GmbH.
Other companies fined smaller amounts include Holz-Fehlings
Gleistechnik und Entsorgung GmbH, Fehlings Narosch Gleistechnik und
Entsorgung GmbH, Kuenstler Bahntechnik GmbH, Heinrich Krug GmbH
& Co. KG, and Betzler Eisenbahntechnik GmbH.
Both ThyssenKrupp and Voestalpine couldn't immediately provide a
formal statement but said they are accepting the decision and won't
appeal.
Write to Nicky Redl at nicky.redl@dowjones.com
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