The two companies will now be managed as a single unit.
'By merging the two companies, we hope to increase our efficiency in serving our customers in the automotive sector. The merger is a response to the industry's greater demand for integrated network solutions for components as well as finished vehicles from a single source,' said Karsten Sachsenr'der, a DB Schenker Rail executive responsible for sales, in a statement.
The two companies are to merge locations and organizations, and the new corporate identity introduced in the first quarter of 2011.
DB Schenker Rail Automotive GmbH will continue to be managed by the Automotive Market Unit at the Europe level of DB Schenker Rail. It comprises four divisions.
The new structure continues to ensure business neutrality through third-party forwarders for the finished vehicle business, DB Schenker said.
DB Schenker Rail moves more than 200 trains per day and more than 3 million finished vehicles a year. Last year it generated 650 million euros.