GE interested in buying Italian trainmaker Ansaldo

[kaitoku]

(Reuters) - General Electric Co (GE.N) is interested in buying Italian rail technology company Ansaldo STS (STS.MI), the head of the U.S. group in Italy said, in a further expansion of its presence in the country.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/ ... QU20130906" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Will they be able to overcome the resistance of powerful Italian unions concerned about plant closures? Will the technology gained be worth the risk of taking on a troubled maker? (will it produce more than the touted technology exchange with China Railways?- which so far has not produced anything besides sales of diesel locos to China, AFAIK).

[v8interceptor]

Looking at the Website of Ansaldo's parent company; Finmecchania, if the news story is accurate it appears that General Electric is only looking to buy the Ansaldo business unit that manufactures railroad signal systems and related equipment, not the locomotive/EMU/Light Rail manufacturing division which trades under the name AnsaldoBreda:
http://www.finmeccanicausa.com/About/AnsaldoSTS.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
So GE would be expanding in a business segment they are already very active in but not getting back into building electric locomotives/LRV's/Trainsets,at least by way of this acquisition...
Hitachi already owns much of AnsaldoBreda and they may buy the rolling stock manufacturing unit outright..

[mtuandrew]

Seeing v8incerceptor's post, I think I'll move this thread to the GE forum. Thanks for bringing this up, kaitoku!

[kaitoku]

Hitachi already owns much of AnsaldoBreda and they may buy the rolling stock manufacturing unit outright..

I have not heard such news here in Japan. Hitachi was at one time interested in AB, but nothing has come of it, probably due to the unions and closing plants issue as well as the Fyra debacle.