Antitrust opens probe into railway companies RFI, FS

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 21 - Italy's Antitrust Authority AGCM said Friday that it has opened a probe into Italian railway infrastructure operator Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) and its state-owned parent company Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS) for suspected abuse of dominant position.
    The competition watchdog said the case regards new entrant SNCF Voyages Italia's access to the high-speed market.
    "According to the Authority, access to the national railway infrastructure and, as a consequence, entry into the high-speed passenger transport market by new player SNCF Voyages Italia S.r.l. appears to have been slowed down, and in some cases hindered," the antitrust said.
    "In its decision to open the proceedings, the Authority alleges that Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A. implemented an exclusionary strategy by engaging in various practices related to the allocation of infrastructure capacity".
    FS said its companies "have fully cooperated with the AGCM for the success of the inspection operations and will have the opportunity to represent the correctness of their conduct in the course of the proceedings". (ANSA).