Rail Equipment Maintenance Company (EMEF)

EMEF — Empresa de Manutenção de Equipamento Ferroviário, S.A. (in English, the Rail Equipment Maintenance Company) — was a Portuguese industrial company whose core business was the maintenance, repair and modernisation of railway rolling stock. It was created in December 1992 and began operating in January 1993, when the state railway Caminhos-de-ferro Portugueses (CP) decided to spin off its own maintenance workshops into a separate, wholly owned subsidiary in order to restructure the business and improve workshop utilisation. A long-term service contract with CP secured a gradual transfer of rolling-stock maintenance over the following years. The company was headquartered in Amadora, near Lisbon, with a service centre in Lisbon and workshop groups in Barreiro, Entroncamento, Figueira da Foz and Guifões near Porto; it was organised into five regional divisions covering the whole country. EMEF's initial remit was limited to repairing CP's own vehicles, but in November 1994 it broadened its scope to routine maintenance and servicing, taking over a large number of small depots. In 1998 it began maintaining rolling stock for operators other than CP, becoming fully responsible for all Metro do Porto trains after negotiations with the operator Transdev. In March 1999 it joined with the Portuguese firms Fernave and Ferbritas to found Fertrem in Lisbon, a venture providing technical and economic consultancy to rail operators nationally and internationally. From 2005 EMEF also manufactured freight wagons, building 356 wagons for the railways of Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 2005 and 2008 (28 type Tadns, 28 type Habis and 300 type EAS-z) and modernising 211 used wagons. From 2008 it built 22 LE4700 locomotives for CP in cooperation with Siemens. In 2006 EMEF acquired the former Bombardier and Sorefame plant in Amadora for EUR 6.5 million to establish a technical base there, with the service headquarters intended to move to Amadora after a transition period. Its largest customer was its parent, Comboios de Portugal, which paid EMEF EUR 65.49 million in 2007 for services rendered. EMEF was regarded as one of the largest companies in the Portuguese metalworking industry. At the end of 2019 the company was merged into CP, ending its existence as a separate legal entity.

EMEF's origins lie in a restructuring decision taken by the Portuguese state railway Caminhos-de-ferro Portugueses (CP) in December 1992. Seeking to reorganise the business and improve the utilisation of its workshops, CP decided to spin off its rolling-stock maintenance workshops into a separate, wholly owned subsidiary. The newly founded Empresa de Manutenção de Equipamento Ferroviário began work in January 1993, and a long-term contract with CP secured the gradual handover of rolling-stock maintenance over the following years. Its initial task was simply the repair of CP's vehicle fleet. In November 1994 the company expanded its remit to include routine maintenance and servicing of trains, and with this expansion a large number of small operating depots passed to EMEF. In 1998 EMEF took on the maintenance of trains not belonging to CP for the first time: after negotiations with the operator Transdev, it became fully responsible for all Metro do Porto trains. In March 1999 EMEF, together with the Portuguese companies Fernave and Ferbritas, founded Fertrem in Lisbon, a company dedicated to technical and economic consultancy for railway operating companies at national and international level. EMEF moved into manufacturing in 2005, producing freight wagons for the first time. Between April 2005 and 2008 it built a total of 356 freight wagons for the railways of Bosnia and Herzegovina (28 type Tadns, 28 type Habis and 300 type EAS-z) and modernised 211 used wagons. From 2008, in cooperation with Siemens, it built 22 LE4700 locomotives for CP. In 2006 EMEF acquired the former Bombardier and Sorefame plant in Amadora near Lisbon for EUR 6.5 million in order to establish a technical base there; after a transition period the company's service headquarters was also to move to Amadora. EMEF was present throughout Portugal and divided into five regional areas. Its registered office was in Amadora, its service centre in Lisbon, and other workshop groups were located in Barreiro, Entroncamento, Figueira da Foz and Guifões near Porto. Its largest customer was its parent company Comboios de Portugal, which transferred EUR 65.49 million to EMEF in 2007 for all services rendered. EMEF was considered one of the largest companies in the Portuguese metalworking industry. At the end of 2019 the company was merged into CP, bringing its separate corporate existence to an end.

• 2019

  At the end of 2019, EMEF is merged into CP, ending its existence as a separate company.

• 2008

  From 2008, in cooperation with Siemens, EMEF builds 22 LE4700 locomotives for CP.

• 2007

  Parent company Comboios de Portugal pays EMEF EUR 65.49 million for all services rendered.

• 2006

  EMEF acquires the former Bombardier and Sorefame plant in Amadora for EUR 6.5 million to establish a technical base.

• 2005

  EMEF produces freight wagons for the first time; between April 2005 and 2008 it builds 356 wagons for the railways of Bosnia and Herzegovina and modernises 211 used wagons.

• 1999

  In March, EMEF founds Fertrem in Lisbon together with Fernave and Ferbritas for technical and economic consultancy to rail operators.

• 1998

  After negotiations with the operator Transdev, EMEF becomes fully responsible for all Metro do Porto trains — its first maintenance work for non-CP rolling stock.

• 1994

  In November, EMEF expands its remit to routine maintenance and servicing, taking over a large number of small depots.

• 1993

  EMEF begins operations in January; a long-term contract with CP secures the gradual handover of rolling-stock maintenance.

• 1992

  In December, the state railway Caminhos-de-ferro Portugueses (CP) decides to spin off its rolling-stock maintenance workshops into a wholly owned subsidiary.

Portugal's state-railway-owned rolling-stock maintenance and modernisation specialist, one of the largest companies in the Portuguese metalworking industry.

• Rolling-stock maintenance and repair

  Core service: repair, maintenance and servicing of CP trains and, from 1998, of Metro do Porto trains.

• Freight wagons (types Tadns, Habis, EAS-z)

  356 wagons built for the railways of Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 2005 and 2008.

• LE4700 locomotives

  22 locomotives built for CP from 2008 in cooperation with Siemens.

• Fertrem consultancy services

  Technical and economic consultancy for railway operators, via the joint venture founded in 1999.

1. 1Wikidata: Rail Equipment Maintenance Company (Q558036)wikidata.org
2. 2Wikipedia (German): Empresa de Manutenção de Equipamento Ferroviáriode.wikipedia.org
3. 3EMEF official website (archived)emef.pt