05. 03. 10. - 15:00

ÖBB's MAV Cargo changes name

Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) subsidiary MAV Cargo is changing its name to Rail Cargo Hungaria, it was announced yesterday (Thurs).

ÖBB’s freight division Rail Cargo Austria (RCA) acquired MAV Cargo in 2008.

RCA chief Friedrich Macher said: "Rail Cargo Hungaria will play an important role in combined traffic in southeastern European countries and strengthen RCA in the Danube corridor."

The contract in Hungary that privatised MAV Cargo provides for retention of its name until the end of 2010, and its privatisation has become an issue in the Hungarian general election campaign leading up to the election in April.

Much of the criticism of the privatisation in Hungary is focusing on a consulting contract worth millions that ÖBB signed with a Budapest lobbying firm.

RCA paid 385 million Euros for MAV Cargo, which consulting firm A.T.Kearney says might have been too much.

Rail-Cargo Hungaria chief Imre Kovacs said: "Our structure and competitiveness are much better than they were before privatisation."

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