CER Cargo Group has emerged as the successful bidder for Wiener Lokalbahnen Cargo (WLC), one of Austria’s leading rail freight operators.
The sale follows an open bidding process that was initiated in May by WLC’s current owners, Wiener Lokalbahnen (WLB) and Wiener Stadtwerke (WSTW). The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of this year, although the price paid by Budapest-based CER has not been disclosed.
CER operates subsidiaries in southern, eastern, and central European countries and the company says that it sees WLC as an ideal platform for expanding its activities in Austria and Germany.
“We are pleased to have found in CER Cargo Group a buyer which has shown throughout the entire process that they have ambitious strategic plans for WLC,” says Monika Unterholzer, deputy director general of WSTW.
“This expansion enables us to offer interoperable rail freight services across Europe,” says Laszlo Horvath, majority owner and chairman of CER.
