EUROPE: Alstom’s divestment to CAF of the Coradia Polyvalent and the former Bombardier Transportation Talent 3 platforms has been approved by the European Commission under the EU Merger Regulation. Railway Gazette International understands that the transaction is expected to close within a few weeks.
This would include the Coradia Polvalent production facilities at Reichshoffen in France, but only the intellectual property related to the Talent 3 and not the production facilities at Hennigsdorf in Germany.
Alstom had offered to divest both business lines in order to obtain clearance from the European Commission for its acquisition of Bombardier Transportation, which was concluded in January 2021. Alstom had earlier been in negotiation with both CAF and Škoda Transportation as potential buyers.
The Commission still needs to approve CAF as a buyer, but it announced on May 30 that it the proposed transaction would not raise competition concerns given that the parties have limited market shares, are not close competitors and will continue to face credible competitors.
