ÖBB and Stadler create Westbahn maintenance joint venture

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ÖBB-Technische, the maintenance division of Austrian Federal Railways, and Stadler have created a new joint venture to manage the maintenance of open access operator Westbahn’s KISS EMU fleet.

The joint venture, which ÖBB will hold a 60 per cent stake in, was formally agreed on March 2. Its creation remains subject to approval by competition authorities but ÖBB hopes to complete the process in the summer.

Stadler has maintained Westbahn’s KISS fleet since 2012 and is supplying 10 more trains to the operator this year.

ÖBB Stadler Service will employ 40 new members of staff by the end of 2018 and move Westbahn’s maintenance activities from Linz to the ÖBB-TS depot in Vienna West. ÖBB said the joint venture was an opportunity to develop its external maintenance business.