Another source said Deutsche Bahn was in exclusive talks to acquire BAX Global and could buy the business, a unit of U.S. security firm Brink's Co., if Bahn's supervisory board approved the deal by mid-November.

Shares of Richmond, Va.-based Brink's, which surged about 10% on Monday after Reuters reported that Deutsche Bahn was seeking to acquire BAX Global, opened little changed Wednesday and closed a penny higher at $46.27.

Buying BAX Global, which has about 12,000 employees and posted sales last year of $2.4 billion, would boost Deutsche Bahn's competitiveness in the U.S. and strengthen its logistics arm Schenker by adding air and sea transportation from the U.S. to Europe and Asia.