Czech Railway Industry Exports Over Half of Its Production

The present successful advancement of railway transport was enabled thanks to more than 200 years of traditional development of the Czech railway industry. The former ČKD and SKODA plants, together with a range of other manufacturers, have always been at the top of their professions. The quality of their products is reflected in their high exports.

This long-standing tradition is successfully linked to the present representatives of the Czech railway industry, who do not rely only on tradition but invest significantly in the development of new products, in the purchase of high-tech technologies and the renewal of production areas. This technological innovation is necessary to ensure the competitiveness of this industrial branch. A highly competitive and stable industry that is resilient towards the economic difficulties associated with the current pandemic situation – just as can be translated into the economic results – was achieved last year by companies associated in the Association of Czech Railway Industry (ACRI). Last year, ACRI members achieved a turnover of approximately 77 billion crowns and, importantly, compared to the previous year, which was not affected by the problems associated with the COVID-19 infection, their turnover increased slightly year-on-year. “The share of exports is very significant, reaching 53 per cent in 2020. It proves that Czech companies offer innovative and competitive products and services in this demanding sector, “says Marie Vopálenská, CEO of ACRI. “The stability of the industry is proving to be a very important factor in maintaining employment, especially in today’s difficult times. And, of course, it is important for the country’s economic indicators – according to an analysis prepared by Deloitte, Czech companies operating in the railway industry create an added value of approximately 26 billion crowns. If we include indirect and induced effects, it is almost 52 billion crowns, which represents 1.3 per cent of the Czech Republic’s GDP. “

ECONOMIC RESULTS OF FIRMS OPERATING IN THE RAILWAY INDUSTRY

turnover CZK mil. export CZK mil. employees

At the same time, the whole sector has great growth potential – shortly before the current Coronavirus crisis, the European Commission introduced the socalled Green Deal for Europe, a package of measures to ensure a smooth transition to a sustainable and green economy for Europe. Significant investments in ecological transport are also directly related to this. The European Union emphasizes the role of rail transport in the Green Deal – its development and support are key to the plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 90 per cent by 2050. The year 2021 will become the European Year of Railway. The European Union places great emphasis on ecology, a substantial reduction in the carbon footprint and climate neutrality, and therefore intends to support the strengthening of the role of rail transport. And investments in this area of railway should be at the forefront in the Czech Republic as well.

MARIE VOPÁLENSKÁ

General Director, ACRI www.acri.cz SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS OF CZECH COMPANIES

ACRI members export their high quality products and services especially to the member states of the European Union, the Balkan countries, Turkey, and Russia. Their products, such as train control systems, locomotives and tramcars, are of the highest European standards. The Czech railway industry is at the top among European manufacturers, and Czech companies are in a position to compete on the international scene. Worth mentioning among its export achievements is the recent contract for the delivery of electric units from ŠKODA Transportation to Germany, Turkey, Finland, or Hungary, and the delivery of tramcars from the same manufacturer to a number of European and non-European cities; AŽD Praha is modernising railways in Slovakia, the Balkans, and Turkey, rails from TŘINECKÉ ŽELEZÁRNY are being delivered to European countries, while railway wheels from Bonatrans can be found serving practically all over the world, and the same is true of anti-friction bearings from ZKL. ŠKODA Transportation will supply 80 modern tramcars for the Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr transport company.

Czech Railways ordered 50 super modern express vehicles from the SIEMENS-SKODA consortium. SKODA will supply 7 six-carriage trains to Saint Petersburg Metro via OOO VAGONMAŠ, part of the Škoda Transportation Group. Škoda Transportation, in consortium with ŽOS Trnava, won the tender to supply up to 25 electric units to Slovak Railways (ZSSK). The Slovak company will receive state-of-the-art single-decker RegioPanter units. Transtech Oy, a subsidiary of Škoda Transportation, will supply 10 ForCity Smart Artic trams to the Finnish City of Helsinki. AŽD Praha has equipped the 13.3 km-long loop at the Velim Test Centre with ETCS Level 2. Also completed is the first commercial project for the installation of the ETCS L2 on the section Kolín – Břeclav – state border of the Czech Republic with the Slovak Republic and Austria. The ETCS L2 project on the Petrovice u Karviné – Břeclav section is under construction, and work on the Česká Třebová – Přerov section has recently been completed. AŽD Praha is collaborating on various projects in Turkey, for example, on the modernisation of the Istanbul Metro, for which AŽD supplied the signalling systems and carried out the upgrade of railway crossing safety devices. It also supplied components for more than 260 railway crossings, and traffic control and information systems for Izmir. AŽD PRAHA is completing the delivery of its signalling system to Montenegro. GHH-BONATRANS, premium supplier of railway wheelsets and their parts, a company with a history of more than 200 years with delivery footprints in more than 80 countries globally, represents an impressive part of the history of wheelset design and manufacture. Generations of genuine experts continuously contribute to the development of wheelsets. Respecting the past but looking ahead, the pioneers of wheelset manufacture produce premium solutions for railways worldwide. ŠKODA ELECTRIC offers the development, production and integration of propulsion and control systems for various rail vehicles i.e. underground railways, locomotives, EMUs, low-floor trams, trolleybuses and battery vehicles for environmentally friendly public transport. Škoda Electric also has experience with PMSM motors, SiC semiconductors, TCMS and system integration, and is a reliable partner and technology leader in the field of propulsion systems for rail vehicles. AMiT is a supplier of industrial electronics and reliable solutions for public and mass transportation, industrial automation and building automation. AMiT Transportation is one of the most important players in Central Europe in the development and production of control systems for transportation, mainly for railways and rolling stock. DAKO-CZ is a traditional manufacturer of braking systems and components for railway vehicles. It has important contracts with leading world rolling stock manufacturers, including Siemens and Stadler. Another important customer of DAKO-CZ is Tatravagónka Poprad, co-owner of the Třemošnice manufacturer. Besides train brakes, DAKO-CZ also supplies braking systems and components for underground railway trains and tramcars. UP to 70 % of the company´s production goes for export. For example, it has made another delivery of braking systems for LHB carriages to the Indian customer, ESCORTS. DAKO-CZ has been in the Indian market since 2006. Its exports began to grow meaningfully in 2015.

A Company that Succeeded on the Global Market and Became a Czech Singularity

Jakub Weimann, the CEO of BONATRANS GROUP a. s.: Our goal is to maintain the position of European leader for next generation and further.

BONATRANS is globally a very well-established supplier of railway wheelsets. What makes it unique?

The most unique aspect is the fact that the people in Bohumín both construct and manufacture the wheelsets (and parts thereof, including axles, wheels, and centers) and they have a lot of experience with it. It is speci cally due to “the decades of experience” that we are able to e ectively react to market requirements and focus on our own development. This involves e orts in improving the products’ lifecycle, increasing their lifespan under increased costs stemming from environmental requirements, ride comfort, etc. The solution for this is the materials used, technologies and the logistics of production, and many others aspects.

Where can we experience a ride in a train that runs on BONATRANS wheelsets? Are there some outstanding places you think are worth a mention?

You can get a ride practically anywhere, as we supply our products to eighty countries, five continents and we hold a 40 % share in the European market. You can ride BONATRANS wheelsets in the subways of Paris, Prague, and New York, and if you travel to the Tibetan high plateau, which a railway in China passes through, you also have the chance to ride in our wheelsets. As far as distance is concerned, the furthest we have ever exported our product was New Zealand. However, in Europe you are most likely to catch a ride in Germany, Austria, France, or the UK, as railway operators and city transport companies of countries with most developed network of rail-bound transportation are our biggest customers. Be it for new fleets indirectly, through manufacturers of rolling stock, or directly for existing fleets. If to consider out of Europe, it would be North America, India, and China.

In 2020 BONATRANS has reached an important milestone, fty- ve years since its founding. What are your plans for the future?

BONATRANS is the European leader in its field, and we would like to maintain this position. There are still markets that interest us, with potential for us to grow (in particular Italy, Scandinavia, China, North America, and India). For such expansion we will obviously need top-notch machinery equipment, smooth and flexible processes, but most importantly all of our employees onboard with their knowledge and passion. We will need to deepen the communication with our customers, to react to their ideas and help to transform them into future products. We will also strive to be involved in the development of advanced technologies, machines, and devices with focus on automation. This is for us the way forward, creating an environment that leads to prosperity and at least another fifty-five successful years.

PIONEERS OF WHEELSET SOLUTIONS

BONATRANS and GHH-RADSATZ represent an impressive part of the history of wheelset design and manufacturing. Generations of true experts continuously contribute to the evolution of the wheelset. Respecting the past but looking ahead, the pioneers of wheelset manufacturing produce premium solutions for the railways of the world.

GHH-BONATRANS supplies a full range of rst class products and reliable solutions such as heavy rail wheelsets for high-speed trains and locomotives, low- oor solutions for light rail, including resilient wheels and noise absorbing solutions. Not only do we manufacture solutions of the highest possible standards, we design the products with our customers and provide a complete after-sales service. The neverending spirit of curiosity and passion for perfection enables the birth of new innovative solutions that drive the industry forwards. • The premium supplier for wheels, axles and wheelsets • More than 200 years of history • For all types of rolling stock, including trams and metros • For all major railways and rolling stock manufacturers • More than 80 countries delivered worldwide