Deutsche Bahn in talks with Italian high-speed train operator

Deutsche Bahn in talks with Italian high-speed train operator Berlin  - Europe's biggest rail company Deutsche Bahn AG is considering investing in Italy's passenger train operations, Germany's daily Die Welt reported Tuesday.

The newspaper reported that the German-based Deutsche Bahn has been holding talks with Fiat and Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo's newly formed private high-speed rail service group Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV).

"Montezemolo and his partners definitely have enough capital for this large project," Die Welt quoted a Deutsche Bahn executive as saying. "But they lack the know-how in this area - and we have it."

NTV plans to begin operating in 2011 services between Turin-Milan-Rome-Naples.

The Italian rail group's chief Guiseppe Sciarrone is also quoted by Die Welt as saying his company was prepared to consider hiving off a minority stake to an industrial partner from outside Italy.

But Sciarrone insisted that control would remain in Italian hands.

Deutsche Bahn has previously indicated that it hoped to expand outside Germany in the passenger rail service business after it makes its debut on the stock market later this year. (dpa)

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