Škoda Transportation
Czech manufacturer of trams, railway vehicles, metro trains, trolleybuses and public-transport propulsion systems.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Škoda Transportation is a Czech manufacturer of rail and urban-public-transport equipment headquartered in Plzeň. Its portfolio includes trams, metro vehicles, electric multiple units, push-pull trainsets, locomotives, trolleybuses and associated traction and control systems. The company is a successor to the transport-related activities of the historic Škoda Works, but it is a separate modern corporate entity from Škoda Auto and from other businesses that formerly used the Škoda name. The company’s industrial roots reach back to Škoda Works, founded in Plzeň in 1859. Škoda began producing locomotives in 1920 and developed extensive experience in electric railway equipment, trolleybuses and tram propulsion during the twentieth century. Following the political and economic transformation after 1989, the former conglomerate was reorganized and divided into separate companies. The transport business was established as ŠKODA DOPRAVNÍ TECHNIKA s. r. o. in 1995, later operating as ŠKODA TRANSPORTATION and adopting its current joint-stock form in 2009. During the 1990s the company initially combined modernization work with new-product development. It refurbished Tatra T3 trams for Czech operators and introduced the low-floor Škoda 03T tram in 1997. It subsequently expanded into modern tram families, metro modernization, electric locomotives and regional electric trains. The ForCity portfolio became the company’s principal modern tram platform, with variants supplied to operators in the Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, Hungary and Slovakia. Its rail portfolio also developed around RegioPanter and InterPanter electric multiple units, push-pull trainsets and the 109E locomotive family. Ownership changed several times as the wider Škoda industrial structure was reconfigured. Appian Group acquired the former Škoda Holding in 2003 and pursued a restructuring that concentrated the remaining group around power generation and transportation. The transport company was subsequently held through entities associated with Škoda Holding and other investment structures. PPF Group agreed to acquire Škoda Transportation and related assets in 2017; the transaction was completed in 2018. PPF later placed the transport business within a broader Škoda Group structure and continued its international expansion. The company’s business is primarily project-based. It sells vehicles to municipal transport authorities, railway operators and public-sector or state-linked customers, frequently through tenders and long-term delivery and maintenance contracts. In addition to complete vehicles, the group supplies electrical equipment, propulsion systems, modernization packages and services. Its international focus has increasingly shifted toward Western and Northern Europe, while the Czech market remains an important engineering, manufacturing and reference base. Škoda Transportation also owns or controls interests in other transport businesses, including Škoda Transtech and TEMSA-related operations. The company operates under a licence arrangement for continued use of the Škoda name after PPF transferred rights to the Škoda trademark and logo to Škoda Auto in 2022. As of the latest supplied reference material, Petr Novotny serves as chief executive officer and chairman of the board. The company remains active as a major Central European supplier of electric and low-emission public-transport technology.
History
The modern company emerged from the transport engineering activities of Škoda Works, the major industrial enterprise established in Plzeň in 1859 by Emil Škoda. Škoda entered locomotive manufacturing in 1920, when the first locomotive left its Plzeň works on 11 June. The business later developed electric locomotives, diesel locomotives, tram propulsion equipment and trolleybuses. During the interwar period, railway production became one of the industrial group’s principal activities, with exports forming a meaningful part of output. After the Second World War, Škoda’s locomotive and trolleybus activities continued under nationalized ownership. The company produced a succession of trolleybus models and supplied electric railway equipment as Czechoslovakia expanded and electrified its transport networks. The historical transport operation therefore provided the engineering base from which the later independent company developed, although the post-1990 corporate structure was not identical to the original Škoda Works. The fall of communism led to conversion and restructuring of the former state industrial system. Škoda Works was transformed into a joint-stock company and its assets were progressively divided among specialized entities. The transport business was organized as ŠKODA DOPRAVNÍ TECHNIKA s. r. o. in 1995. It operated under the ŠKODA TRANSPORTATION name from December 2004 and became a joint-stock company in April 2009. In its first modern phase, the company combined refurbishment with new vehicle development. It modernized Tatra T3 trams for Plzeň and Liberec and introduced the Škoda 03T low-floor tram in 1997. The business then broadened its product range through metro modernization, locomotives, electric trainsets and new tram platforms. The 81-71M program modernized Prague Metro vehicles, while the 109E family represented a new generation of electric locomotives for Czech, Slovak and German customers. Corporate ownership changed as the former Škoda conglomerate was reorganized. Appian Group acquired the parent Škoda Holding in 2003 and concentrated its remaining activities on transportation and conventional power generation. Several industrial subsidiaries were sold, leaving transportation as the principal operating pillar. Škoda Transportation later consolidated its accounts and acquired or developed additional transport businesses. Ownership was subsequently held through investment companies associated with the former shareholder group before PPF Group agreed to purchase the company in November 2017. The transaction was completed in 2018. Under PPF ownership, the business expanded its international platform and operated as part of the Škoda Group. Its tram activity became associated with the ForCity family, while rail production increasingly emphasized regional and intercity electric multiple units rather than the development of new locomotive types. RegioPanter and InterPanter trains were delivered for Czech and foreign markets, and push-pull units were supplied to operators in Central Europe. The group also developed a wider international footprint in Germany, Finland, Poland, Bulgaria and other markets. The company’s urban-transport activities include trams and trolleybuses, increasingly incorporating battery operation or other solutions for routes without continuous overhead wiring. Its tram orders have included Czech cities such as Prague, Plzeň, Brno and Ostrava, as well as German, Finnish, Hungarian and Slovakian customers. Metro activity includes modernization programs and new-vehicle contracts, including projects for Warsaw and Sofia. In 2022, PPF announced that rights to the Škoda logo and brand had been sold to Škoda Auto. Škoda Transportation was permitted to continue using its current name under licence until 2029, creating a distinction between trademark ownership and the operating identity of the transport group. The company continues to present itself as a European rail and public-transport technology group, with manufacturing, engineering, vehicle integration and lifecycle services at the core of its business.
- 2023
Sofia Metro contract signed
[1]The company signed a contract to deliver eight metro trains to Sofia.
- 2023
15,000th trolleybus produced
[1]Škoda Group marked production of its 15,000th trolleybus.
- 2022
Škoda brand rights transferred
[1]PPF announced the transfer of rights to the Škoda logo and brand to Škoda Auto, with licensed continued use by the transport business.
- 2020
Warsaw Metro contract signed
[1]Škoda signed a contract to supply metro trains to Warsaw.
- 2018
PPF acquisition completed
[1]The transaction was finalized and Škoda Transportation entered PPF ownership.
- 2017
PPF signs acquisition agreement
[1]PPF Group signed an agreement to acquire Škoda Transportation and related assets.
- 2012
RegioPanter enters trial operation
[1]The first 7Ev RegioPanter electric multiple unit began trial operation, preceding approval in 2013.
- 2009
Joint-stock structure adopted
[1]The company moved to its current joint-stock legal form.
- 2004
Škoda Transportation name adopted
[1]The company began operating under the ŠKODA TRANSPORTATION name in December.
- 1997
First in-house tram design introduced
[1]The Škoda 03T low-floor tram entered the company’s product history after earlier modernization programs.
Products and positioning
Engineering-led European rail and public-transport manufacturer focused on electric mobility, integrated vehicle platforms, modernization and turnkey urban-transport solutions.
Trams
ForCity trams
ForCity is the company’s principal family of modern low-floor trams. Variants such as ForCity Classic, ForCity Smart and ForCity Plus are adapted to different network requirements, including one-way and two-way operation, local infrastructure and customer-specific interior layouts. The family has been supplied to cities in the Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, Hungary and Slovakia.
Electric multiple units · 2012
RegioPanter
RegioPanter is a family of electric multiple units designed primarily for regional passenger services. The first 7Ev units entered trial operation in 2012 and were approved in 2013. The trains have been used extensively in Czech regional networks and have also been delivered or planned for customers outside the Czech Republic.
Intercity electric multiple units
InterPanter
InterPanter units extend the company’s electric multiple-unit offering toward longer-distance and intercity services. They share the broader Panter engineering approach while being configured for higher-speed and longer-route passenger operations.
Electric locomotives
109E
The 109E is an electric locomotive family produced for Czech, Slovak and German railway customers. It includes locomotives associated with Czech Railways, ŽSSK and DB Regio applications, demonstrating the company’s ability to meet different national technical and certification requirements.
Metro modernization · 1996
81-71M
The 81-71M program modernized Soviet-designed 81-71 metro vehicles for Prague. The work formed part of Škoda’s broader experience in upgrading existing fleets through new electrical systems, interiors, control equipment and passenger-access improvements.
Electric buses · 1941
Trolleybuses
Škoda supplies trolleybus vehicles and electrical propulsion systems, often working with partner manufacturers for vehicle bodies. Recent solutions include battery-equipped trolleybuses capable of operating on sections without overhead wires. The group has developed nearly forty trolleybus models and has supplied operators across Europe.
Metro vehicles
Metro trains
The company manufactures and modernizes metro vehicles for urban systems. Its work has included Prague modernization and participation in metro projects for Kazan, Kyiv and St. Petersburg, as well as newer delivery programs for Warsaw and Sofia.
Brand decisions
2023
Sofia Metro train contractProduct launchBackground
The group continued pursuing metro orders in Central and Southeastern Europe.
Action taken
Škoda signed a contract to supply eight metro trains to Sofia.
Aftermath
The agreement added a Bulgarian metro customer to the company’s international project portfolio.
2022
Separation of transport operations from Škoda trademark ownershipStrategyBackground
PPF owned the transport company while the Škoda name was also associated with other businesses, including Škoda Auto.
Action taken
PPF transferred rights to the Škoda logo and brand to Škoda Auto and licensed Škoda Transportation to continue using its current name until 2029.
Aftermath
The transport business continued operating under the Škoda name while trademark ownership and operating-company identity became contractually distinct.
2020
Warsaw Metro train programProduct launchBackground
Škoda sought to extend its metro business beyond modernization work and into new-vehicle supply for major European urban systems.
Action taken
The company signed a contract to deliver metro trains to Warsaw, with the first train entering passenger service in 2022.
Aftermath
The contract strengthened the company’s position as a supplier of complete metro vehicles in the European market.
2017
PPF acquisition of Škoda TransportationM&ABackground
The transport manufacturer was being operated within a complex post-privatization ownership structure after the breakup of the former Škoda conglomerate.
Action taken
PPF Group signed an agreement in November 2017 to acquire Škoda Transportation and related assets; completion followed in 2018.
Aftermath
The company became part of PPF’s industrial portfolio and continued expanding its rail and public-transport activities internationally.
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