BRUSSELS — European regulators have approved the pandemic-delayed merger of two high speed rail companies, Politico.eu reports.
The merger of the Eurostar and Thalys companies was first proposed in 2019 [see “Proposed high speed merger …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 30, 2019] but delayed as both companies struggled with plummeting ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eurostar was nearly forced into bankruptcy.
The European Commission approved the merger on Tuesday, citing “very limited impact on the structure of the market.”
French national railway SNCF has a controlling interest in both companies, which will combine under the Eurostar name and be headquartered in Brussels. It will service the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.
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