Škoda Transportation — BrandWiki

Škoda Transportation

Overview

Škoda Transportation a.s.

type	Joint-stock company
predecessor	Škoda Works (founded )
founder	Emil Škoda (as Škoda Works)
area served	Worldwide
key people	Petr Novotný (CEO and chairman of the board))‡R1R‡ Tomáš Ignačák (deputy chairman of the board) Zdeněk Sváta (member of the board) Jaromír Urbánek (Site Director Škoda Transportation) Jaroslav Zoch (member of the supervisory board) Michal Korecký (member of the supervisory board)
industry	Rail transport machinery
products	electric locomotives multiple units low-floor trams underground trains trolleybuses battery electric buses hybrid electric buses
revenue	34,4 billion CZK (entire group, 2023)
operating income	▲ 4,59 billion CZK (2022) 0,52 billion CZK (2021)
net income	▲ 3,55 billion CZK (2022) 0,58 billion CZK (2021)
assets	35,36 billion CZK (2022) 27,53 billion CZK (2021)
equity	▲ 15,26 billion CZK (2022) 11,05 billion CZK (2021)
num employees	5 887 (2023)
parent	PPF
subsid	See list
footnotes	‡R2R‡ ‡R3R‡
location	Plzeň, Czech Republic

Škoda Transportation a.s. is a Czech manufacturer of vehicles for public transport, including trams, electric multiple units, and buses. The company was formerly a division of Czech industrial conglomerate Škoda Works, and shares the Škoda name with Škoda Works' other former divisions, such as Škoda Auto and Doosan Škoda Power. The company is headquartered in Plzeň and markets its products worldwide, with an emphasis on the European market.

Škoda Works was founded in 1859 by Emil Škoda, and began manufacturing locomotives in Plzeň in 1920. Škoda Works was privatized and split up after the Velvet Revolution in the late 20th century, and Škoda Transportation was organized in 1995. The company has been owned by investment firm PPF Group since 2017.[4]

Škoda Transportation fully or partially owns a number of other companies active in the rolling stock and bus manufacturing markets, including TEMSA and Škoda Transtech. Currently, Petr Novotny is the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Škoda Transportation, appointed in October 2023.

History

Products

Trams

In the field of trams, Škoda Dopravní technika modernised a total of 26 Tatra T3 trams operated in Plzeň to type T3M.0 (factory designation Škoda 01T; 1993-1999) and 20 T3 trams operated in Liberec to type T3M.04 (factory designation Škoda 02T; 1995-1999) in the 1990s. In 1997, the company produced its first own tram, the Škoda 03T (also LTM 10.08, “Astra”, “Anitra”), which was gradually delivered to five Czech tram operators until 2006.[26][27] This was followed by other types, some of which were also exported. The latest models of trams are supplied under the trade name Škoda ForCity, which the company delivers to several European countries. In the Czech Republic, they have been delivered to Brno (Škoda 45T - from 2022),[28] Plzeň (Škoda 40T - from 2021),[29] Ostrava (Škoda 39T - from 2021)[30] and Prague (Škoda 15T - 2009-2019 and Škoda 52T).[31][32]

Germany became the second most important market for trams after 2020. The Škoda Group has delivered trams to the Saxonian city of Chemnitz (35T, ForCity Classic, 2018–2020),[33] to the three cities of Mannheim, Ludwigshafen am Rhein and Heidelberg (36T, 37T, 38T, all ForCity Smart, since 2022),[34] Bonn (41T, ForCity Smart, since 2023)[35] and to the three cities of Frankfurt an der Oder, Cottbus and Brandenburg an der Havel (46T, 47T, 48T, ForCity Plus, since 2024).[36] Preparations are also underway for production of trams for Kassel (50T, ForCity Smart).[37]

Škoda trams also operate in the Finnish cities of Helsinki (Artic, ForCity Smart, 2013-2019; Artic X54, ForCity Smart, from 2021) and Tampere (Artic X34, ForCity Smart, 2020-2021),[38] and Miskolc in Hungary (26T, from 2013 to 2015[39]). In 2024, the Škoda Group delivered two-way trams to the Slovakian city of Bratislava (30T, ForCity Plus).

Metro trains

Škoda Transportation modernised the 81-71 metro trains to type 81-71M for the Prague Metro between 1996 and 2011.[40] In 2003 it produced a prototype of the new 6Mt metro train. The company also participated in production and modernisation of 81-553 trains for Kazan and Kyiv (the Slavutych train) and participated in the production of NěVa trains for St. Petersburg.[41] At the beginning of 2020, the company signed a contract for delivery of metro trains to Warsaw.[42] The first metro train from the workshops of the Škoda Group will begin carrying passengers in the Polish capital in October 2022. Another contract which has been signed is for delivery of eight metro trains to the Bulgarian city of Sofia. This was signed in July 2023.[43]

Railway vehicles

Škoda Transportation produced type 109E electric locomotives (series 380 ČD, 381 ZSSK and 102 DB Regio) and modernised 71E electric locomotives to type 71Em (series 163 → series 363.5 ČD Cargo). In the field of rail transport, the company was not planning any new locomotive type in 2020, instead focusing on the development and production of RegioPanter and InterPanter electric units.[44]

In the field of rail transport, production by the Škoda Group shifted from locomotives to other types of rail units. Production of these can be divided into two broad categories: Push-Pull Units, i.e. non-traction units with a control car, which need a locomotive to move, have been operating in Slovakia since 2011 (factory designation 3Ev)[45] and in Germany and the Czech Republic since 2021 (factory designation 13Ev)[46][47]

Within the portfolio of the Škoda Group, electric units (EMUs) bear the designation RegioPanter (for regional operation) or InterPanter (for longer-distance transport). The first RegioPanter EMU was designated type 7Ev.[48]

Locomotive factory

As a part of its shift towards non-military production, the Works earmarked a portion of its facilities for manufacturing of locomotives.[63] The production started following an order for 30 locomotives for Czechoslovakia. The first Škoda locomotive left the factory on 11 June 1920. Meanwhile, Škoda gained a major contract for production of 80 and refurbishment of 500 locomotives for Romania. Due to the Romanian order Škoda regained banks' confidence which provided the company with financing to survive through the immediate post-war years. The locomotive factory became one of the company's main pillars.[63]

The company produced its 100th locomotive on 13 September 1921. In 1927 Škoda produced its first express electric locomotive which was followed by the introduction of electric freight locomotives. While electric locomotives were used on electrified lines within Prague, the company further produced electric locomotives with batteries for use within factory areas. Also in 1927, Škoda started production of diesel locomotives and diesel express trains. In the 1930s, the locomotive factory was producing on average 3 locomotives a month with third of the production for export.[64]

Meanwhile, in another factory building situated in Plzeň, Škoda started producing electrical propulsion units for

Trolleybuses

The first mass-produced trolleybus bearing the Škoda brand began running in 1941. Since then, nearly forty models have been developed under the Škoda badge, many of which are currently in use not only in the Czech Republic, but also in a number of countries throughout the whole of Europe. There has been a renaissance in trolleybus production in recent years - in 2014 the Škoda Group celebrated production of its 14,000th trolleybus[65] and in 2023, production of its 15,000th [66] trolleybus. At present, the Škoda Group is focusing mainly on solutions for electrical equipment, with the bodywork supplied by one of the partners it works with on its projects. A number of trolleybus models are equipped with batteries enabling them to cross sections without overhead lines. In Czech cities, Škoda trolleybus units operate in Prague (38 Tr, Solaris,24 m;[67] 36 Tr, Temsa [68]), Plzeň, Brno[69] (31 Tr, SOR; 32 Tr, SOR), Ostrava (36 Tr, Temsa; 31 Tr, SOR) Opava (36 Tr, Temsa; 32 Tr, SOR), Jihlava (32 Tr, SOR) Pardubice (28 Tr, Solaris; 30 Tr, SOR; 32 Tr, SOR) Hradec Králové (30 Tr, SOR; 31 Tr, SOR) České Budějovice, Zlín (35 Tr, Iveco; 30 Tr, SOR Teplice (28 Tr, Solaris; 30 Tr, SOR, 32 Tr, SOR, 33 Tr, SOR) Ústí nad Labem (28 Tr, Solaris) and in Mariánské Lázně (30 Tr, SOR).

Other activities

Škoda Transportation founded the Techmania Science Center in 2005 together with the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň. The goals of the Science Center include reviving interest among young people about studying technological disciplines and generally raising public awareness of science and technology. In 2015, Techmania was visited by over 271,000 tourists in 2015, making it the third most visited tourist destination in Plzeň.

The company was the recipient of two investment incentives in the form of income tax breaks in the total possible amount of CZK 1 billion.

As part of its cooperation with universities, the Škoda Group organises the Emil Škoda Prize every year. University students of technical disciplines from all over the country can participate in this competition with their diploma theses.

The Škoda Group organises the Škoda FIT Half Marathon, an international running race. This takes place in Plzeň in the middle of September.

Škoda Group

Škoda Transportation is part of the Škoda Group, which includes other companies engaged in mechanical and electrical engineering: Škoda Electric, Škoda Vagonka, Škoda Pars, Škoda Transtech (Finland), Škoda Ekova, Škoda ICT, Škoda Digital, Škoda City Service, Škoda TVC, Poll, Škoda Transportation Deutschland (Germany), Škoda Polska (Poland), Bammer Trade, Ganz – Skoda Electric (Hungary), The Signalling Company and Škoda Investment. The entire group had nearly 3,500 employees in 2013 and generated sales of CZK 14.6 billion. In 2021, the entire group had over 6,500 employees, sales of CZK 15.5 billion and generated a net profit of CZK 580 million. The company also owns a 32 % stake in Pragoimex.

In 2011, Škoda Transportation bought the company Autobusová doprava-Miroslav Hrouda in Zbiroh. The main reason for this acquisition was to allow Škoda to test its newly developed and produced hybrid buses in live operation.

In 2013, Škoda Transportation established the subsidiary Škoda Transportation Deutschland in the German city of Munich. The aim of the German Škoda company was to create a business unit encompassing sales, technical and service activities which would be responsible for development of the business activities of the Škoda Transportation Group on the German, Austrian and Swiss markets. In the same year, Škoda bought the Ostrava-based company Lokel, which specialised in the design and supply of electrical equipment for rolling stock.

In 2015, Škoda Transportation acquired a majority stake in Transtech, a Finnish company which engages in production of low-floor trams and double-decker railway carriages. The company has been called Škoda Transtech since 2018, when the remaining shares were purchased.

In 2016, Škoda Transportation established a new subsidiary in the United States, Škoda Transportation USA. The main aim is to create a fully-fledged base in the USA consisting of business development (identification and development of business opportunities), a technical department, purchasing and project management, all the way through to production. Establishment of the company is the first step in the planned expansion into the North American market.

In 2019, the separate Škoda Digital division for Digital Transport Solutions was created within the Škoda Transportation Group.

In 2020, Škoda Transportation bought the Ostrava-based company Ekova Electric. The transfer was completed in 2021, when the company changed its name to Škoda Ekova.

In 2022, presentation of the entire Škoda Transportation Group was changed and the group began operating under the name Škoda Group. In the same year, the Škoda Group established a subsidiary in Italy.

In 2023, the Škoda Group expanded its portfolio to include two new companies. In January, it bought a significant part of the assets of the Austrian engineering and design company Molinari Rail Austria, which became the basis of the newly established Škoda Group Austria, and in February, it bought a majority share (93.6%) in the Belgian railway signalling system manufacturer The Signalling Company.

In 2024, the Škoda Group purchased the Czech electrical engineering company Cegelec, which it renamed Electric Components.