German rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) is buying rail freight firmEnglish, Welsh and Scottish Railways (EWS) in a £300m deal. The takeover is expected to take place later this summer with EWS holding on to its corporate identity. German state-owned DB is buying Doncaster-based EWS from current owners Canadian National Railway and private equity firms Berkshire Partners and Fay Richwhite.
A spokesman for EWS says: "We will continue with our business plan, which aims to grow rail freight
volumes hauled by the company and expand into new markets. "There are no changes to the senior management team and there will be no impact on employees. It is business as usual."
DB has also announced it is taking a majority stake in Spanish operator Transfesa. Norbert Bensel, chairman of DB Logistics, adds: "EWS and Transfesa will enable us to close important gaps in the DB Logistics rail freight network." EWS accounts for 70% of British rail freight and operates more than 1,000 trains a day.
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