The Austrian competition authority, known as BWB, has submitted a request to the competition court regarding the merger application (BWB/Z-6918) between Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp (Wabtec) and Couplers HoldCo AB (Dellner). This merger aims for Wabtec to acquire 100% ownership and control over Dellner, which operates in the rail vehicle manufacturing sector.

During its review of the merger, the BWB collected extensive data and conducted interviews with customers, competitors, and other market participants. The authority expressed concerns that the merger could lead to a significant reduction in horizontal competition intensity, potentially resulting in higher prices and decreased incentives for innovation.

The BWB highlighted that the high market shares of the involved companies, along with substantial barriers to entry for potential new market entrants, contribute to these competitive concerns. Consequently, the BWB concluded that the merger is not eligible for approval in Phase I and requires a more thorough examination in Phase II by the competition court. Therefore, the BWB has filed a request for this in-depth review before the Phase I deadline.