STADLER
I
PROFILE
Swiss company, Stadler, has built rail vehicle construction solutions for 80 years. Ralf Warwel, Sales Director, related the journey to Phil Nicholls.
T
he Stadler story began in 1942, when Ernst Stadler founded the Ingenieurbüro Stadler engineering office in Zurich. The company began producing battery- and diesel-powered locomotives in 1945. 31 years later, in 1976, the business changed its name to Stadler Fahrzeuge AG on becoming a public limited company. It went public, with its shares listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange for the first time in 2019. By 1984, Stadler produced its first passenger vehicle, while its core business was custom manufacturing for Swiss private railway companies. In 1989, the chairman of the board of directors and acting CEO, Peter Spuhler, bought the small Stadler company, consisting of only 18 employees. Peter laid the foundations for the company expansion with the successful development of Stadler’s first modular rail vehicle. In the years that followed, Stadler grew steadily, establishing partnerships and subsidiaries across Europe. Stadler maintains its headquarters in Bussnang in eastern Switzerland. Today, it has a workforce of more than 13,000 at its various production and engineering facilities in Europe and beyond. It also provides after-sales service in more than 70 locations around the world. 66
Inside Industry
2021 was a successful year for Stadler with record annual orders worth CHF 5.6 billion (approximately €5.4 million) up 28% on 2020. Despite a “tense supply chain situation” Stadler revenues increased by 18% to CHF 3.6 billion (€3.5 billion) and delivered group profits of CHF 134.5 million (€129 million). Ralf Warwel, Sales Director, summed up the appeal of Stadler’s product lines: “Stadler trains are economical, rely on state-of-theart technology, and ensure maximum comfort for passengers. We produce high-speed and intercity trains, suburban and regional transport trains, light rail vehicles and trams offer ground-breaking performance, reliability and safety. “Our product portfolio includes modular vehicle concepts, tailormade vehicles and a full range of signalling solutions and services, worldwide, around the clock.” Ralf pointed out that Stadler also provides an after-sales package to clients: “Most of our rolling stock projects are supported by a service/maintenance contract, many lasting 35 years.” Ralf discussed Stadler’s best-selling train, the FLIRT, which stands for Fast Light Intercity and Regional Train. Alongside this product, Stadler’s regional train line includes the double-decker
