French rail operator fined 61 mn euros for anti-competition

PARIS - Agence France-Presse

Railway passengers disembark a train during an SNCF French national railways strike, in Saint-Lazare train station, Paris, France, 25 October 2012. EPA photo

French authorities fined Tuesday the SNCF national rail operator 60.9 million euros ($80 million) for various anti-competitive practices.

"SNCF has put into place practices aimed at hindering its competitors from accessing railway capacity indispensible to their activities," the independent French Competition Authority said.
 
It also said SNCF was charging certain clients prices lower than its own costs in order to prevent competitors from entering the market.
 
The Competition Authority ordered SNCF to change its business practices to eliminate such violations.
 
The probe was opened following a 2009 complaint by Euro Cargo Rail, the freight unit of Germany's Deutsche Bahn (DB).