Deutsche Bahn has been criticised by German politicians for awarding Morgan Stanley an advisory mandate at the same time as the bank is studying the feasibility of an initial public offering which could raise up to €14bn ($16.8bn) for the German government.

The comments by politicians from Germany's governing Christian Democrats and Social Democrats parties reported in German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, followed Morgan Stanley's appointment by Deutsche Bahn to advise it on the sale of its 50% holding in Scandinavian ferry operator Scandlines.