Ministries mull ANAS-FS merger (2)

(ANSA) - Rome, May 4 - Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan met Wednesday with Transport and Infrastructure Minister Graziano Delrio and management from ANAS highways agency and State-controlled rail company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) to explore merging the two firms. This would give rise to "an infrastructure group with international scope," the economy ministry said in a statement.
    The two ministries and management have set up a working group to "analyze economic opportunities (and) instruments and mechanisms to guarantee ANAS' financial autonomy," the statement said.
    Last month, FS CEO Renato Mazzoncini signed a three-billion-euro deal to build two high-speed rail lines in Iran while on an official trip to the Islamic republic with Premier Matteo Renzi and other business delegates. Padoan said in January that partially privatizing FS is the only way to "attack its serious shortcomings".
    The government has said it plans to sell a stake of around 40% in FS, while retaining ownership of the national rail network. The public train company reportedly employs 83,000 railwaymen, owns over 9,000 trains and manages 16,600 kilometers of rail, moving 600 million people and 50 million tonnes of goods a year.