"Chief Executive Hartmut Mehdorn has made assurances that as the owner of the bahn, the government will be closely involved from here on out in the decision-making process,'' German Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee said in a faxed statement today. "The German government will thereby make certain that the interests of all concerned parties are taken into account.''

Tiefensee, who met with Mehdorn yesterday to discuss the possible move, will brief Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet today on the discussions.

Deutsche Bahn said on Nov. 25 it planned to buy harbor operator Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG and public-transport operator Hamburger Hochbahn AG from the city of Hamburg. At the same time, it said it was considering moving "central functions'' of the company to Hamburg as the northern port city is a "natural center'' for its "worldwide logistics'' operations.

A decision on a move to Hamburg will come "at the beginning of 2006,'' Tiefensee said in the statement.

To contact the reporters on this story:
Chad Thomas in Berlin at cthomas16@bloomberg.net.
Claudia Rach in Berlin at crach1@bloomberg.net;

Last Updated: November 29, 2005 04:20 EST