Vossloh
German rail infrastructure technology group specializing in rail fastening, switch systems, track maintenance and related services.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Vossloh is a German rail infrastructure technology group headquartered in Werdohl, North Rhine-Westphalia. Its principal customers are railway infrastructure managers, public and private railway companies, metropolitan and municipal transport operators, and contractors responsible for building or maintaining track. The company is best known for technologies that connect rails to sleepers and other track structures, but its activities also include rail switches, rail maintenance machinery, track measurement and monitoring, and associated services. The business originated with Eduard Vossloh, a blacksmith who received an order in 1883 to manufacture spring washers for the Royal Prussian Railway. The family enterprise was formally registered in 1888 and initially developed a broad metalworking portfolio. In addition to railway components, it produced general hardware, decorative articles and components for electric lighting. This diversification helped it survive periods when demand for forged railway products weakened. Rail technology became increasingly important during the twentieth century. A high-tension ring developed by Karl Vossloh in the 1920s became widely used in railway applications, and a decisive expansion into modern rail fastening followed in 1967, when the company obtained a licence to manufacture a tension-clamp system developed for the Deutsche Bundesbahn. After restructuring during the economic difficulties of the 1980s, outside management was introduced, Schwabe GmbH was acquired, and Vossloh-Werke became a stock corporation in 1989. Its shares began trading publicly in 1990. During the 1990s and 2000s, Vossloh shifted decisively from a diversified industrial manufacturer toward a rail-focused group. It acquired or established businesses involved in switches, wheelset machining, passenger information systems, locomotives, rail vehicles, rail services and infrastructure maintenance. Acquisitions expanded its presence in France, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Australia, India, North America and other markets. The company also developed high-speed grinding, a track-maintenance method intended to remove rail defects and manage wear while allowing maintenance work to be performed at comparatively high operating speeds. The group subsequently simplified its portfolio. Its lighting activities were sold in 2002, the rail infrastructure services business was transferred to VINCI in 2008, and the former rail vehicle, locomotive and electrical-systems activities were divested in stages. The locomotive business was sold to Stadler in 2016, while the electrical systems business was sold to Knorr-Bremse in 2015 and the remaining locomotive activity was transferred in 2020. These transactions reinforced Vossloh's concentration on rail infrastructure rather than rolling stock. Today, Vossloh presents itself primarily as a systems and technology supplier for rail infrastructure. Its portfolio covers fastening systems, switch systems, rail treatment, maintenance services and digital or measurement-related solutions. Production and engineering operations have been located in Germany, France, Luxembourg, Poland, Scandinavia and other regions, with subsidiaries and commercial activities across Asia, the Americas, Australia and Russia. The Vossloh name may also appear on products produced by businesses that are no longer part of Vossloh AG, so the corporate brand should be distinguished from historical or licensed uses of the name.
History
Vossloh's history begins with Eduard Vossloh, a blacksmith whose 1883 order for spring washers from the Royal Prussian Railway established the enterprise's first important railway connection. The business was registered as the Eduard Vossloh Company on 11 July 1888 and moved to larger premises near Werdohl. By the 1890s it had become a small factory with mechanized production. After Eduard's death in 1899, his sons managed the company; Karl Vossloh, an engineer, expanded its range of railway metal components. Before the First World War, the company employed approximately 240 people. After the war, collapsing demand for large forged products encouraged a shift toward smaller components and sheet-metal production. The enterprise was reorganized into several limited-liability companies in the early 1920s. Karl Vossloh developed a high-tension ring in 1927 that became an important railway standard, while the company also maintained a wide range of general hardware, decorative goods and electric-lighting components. The Second World War severely disrupted operations. The Werdohl facilities were bombed in 1945, and subsidiaries located in territories affected by post-war border changes were lost. Production resumed in Lüdenscheid in 1946 with fluorescent-tube holders. Recovery was substantial: by 1950, more than 700 people worked across three production facilities, and by 1962 the workforce at the company's works had grown to about 1,300, with additional employees in subsidiaries. A major strategic turning point came in 1967, when Vossloh received a licence to manufacture a tension-clamp rail fastening developed by Hermann Meier of the Deutsche Bundesbahn. Rail components consequently became a stronger foundation for the business. The recession of the 1980s led to plant closures and large workforce reductions. Management outside the Vossloh family was brought in, Schwabe GmbH was acquired, and Vossloh-Werke GmbH became Vossloh AG on 1 December 1989. The company was first listed on the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange in June 1990. German reunification and the opening of eastern European markets created new demand for railway products. In the 1990s, Vossloh acquired businesses in railway wheelset machining, traffic technology and switch systems, while selling its decorative-products division in 1997. Under Burkhard Schuchmann, the group increasingly concentrated on rail. The lighting division was sold to Matsushita Electric Works in 2002, and the proceeds and strategic focus supported further rail acquisitions. The 2000s brought particularly rapid international expansion. Vossloh acquired or invested in rail-switch manufacturers and infrastructure businesses in France, Sweden, Poland, Serbia, Australia, India, North America and elsewhere. It also bought the former Meinfesa locomotive business in Spain and developed activities in passenger information, electrical systems and rail services. In 2008, infrastructure services were sold to VINCI, while Vossloh continued to build a rail-maintenance platform and entered the German rail-services market in 2010. Ownership and governance became contentious in the 2010s. Heinz Hermann Thiele increased his holding and became supervisory-board chairman in 2013, despite opposition from members of the Vossloh family. Later that year, the family sold a substantial part of its stake, leaving Thiele as the largest shareholder at that time. In 2014, management launched a comprehensive restructuring, reducing senior-management layers and reviewing operations. Vossloh subsequently divested businesses outside its core infrastructure strategy. Electrical systems were sold to Knorr-Bremse in 2015, the rail-vehicle business was sold in 2016, and locomotive activities were transferred in later transactions, including the 2020 transfer associated with CRRC. The modern Vossloh group is therefore centered on rail fastening, switches, rail treatment, maintenance, measurement and related infrastructure technologies.
- 2020
Locomotive activities transferred
[1]Locomotive production associated with the Vossloh name was transferred to CRRC and ceased to represent a core Vossloh AG activity.
- 2016
Rail-vehicle business sold
[1]The group sold its rail-vehicle business as part of its infrastructure-focused portfolio transformation.
- 2015
Electrical systems business sold
[1]Vossloh divested its electrical systems activities to Knorr-Bremse.
- 2014
Group restructuring
[1]The company reorganized its management structure and reviewed sites, staffing and business priorities.
- 2010
German rail-services platform established
[1]Vossloh formed Vossloh Rail Services GmbH from rail-maintenance and logistics activities.
- 2002
Lighting division divested
[1]The lighting division was sold, allowing the group to concentrate more strongly on rail-industry activities.
- 1990
Public listing
[1]Vossloh AG shares began trading on the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange.
- 1989
Conversion into a stock corporation
[1]Vossloh-Werke GmbH became Vossloh AG after restructuring and the introduction of external management.
- 1967
Licensed tension-clamp production begins
[1]Vossloh obtained a licence to manufacture a modern tension-clamp rail fastening developed for the Deutsche Bundesbahn.
- 1927
High-tension ring developed
[1]Karl Vossloh developed a high-tension ring that became widely used on European railways.
Products and positioning
A specialist, global rail-infrastructure technology supplier focused on safety-critical track components, system integration, lifecycle maintenance and infrastructure efficiency rather than passenger rolling stock.
Track components · 1967
Rail fastening systems
Vossloh's fastening portfolio secures rails to sleepers and other track structures while managing loads, vibration, gauge and rail movement. It includes tension clamps and related components developed for conventional railway, high-speed and urban-transport applications. These systems are among the company's oldest and most recognizable rail technologies and form a core part of its infrastructure business.
Rail infrastructure
Switch systems
Through Vossloh Cogifer and related operations, Vossloh supplies railway switches, switch components and customized systems for mainline, high-speed, freight, industrial and urban railways. The business combines manufactured components with engineering and project support, enabling customers to specify track layouts and operating requirements for different networks.
Track maintenance technology
High-speed grinding
High-speed grinding is a Vossloh-associated rail-maintenance technology designed to treat the running surface and control defects and wear while trains or maintenance equipment operate at comparatively high speeds. It is intended to reduce the need for disruptive track possessions and to support preventive infrastructure maintenance.
Maintenance machinery · 2012
Rail milling and grinding equipment
Vossloh has developed rail milling and grinding capabilities for corrective and preventive treatment of rail profiles. Such equipment removes damaged or worn material, restores the desired rail geometry and can be deployed in maintenance programs intended to extend rail life and improve ride quality.
Infrastructure services · 2010
Rail maintenance and logistics services
Vossloh Rail Services provides maintenance-related services and logistics support for railway infrastructure. Activities have included rail treatment, maintenance planning, specialized equipment operation and related track services, allowing infrastructure owners to procure technology and lifecycle support from one specialist supplier.
Rolling stock · 1998
Historical locomotives and rail vehicles
Vossloh historically produced locomotives and other rail vehicles, including through the former Meinfesa business in Spain and the Kiel operation in Germany. These activities were later divested, so locomotives carrying the Vossloh name should not automatically be treated as current products of Vossloh AG.
Brand decisions
2016
Sale of rail-vehicle businessM&ABackground
Vossloh's rail-vehicle operations no longer matched the group's intended concentration on infrastructure technology.
Action taken
The rail-vehicle business was sold to Stadler.
Aftermath
Vossloh retained a stronger identity as a supplier of track components, switches and maintenance technology.
2015
Sale of electrical systems businessM&ABackground
Electrical systems and related activities were outside the increasingly focused core of rail infrastructure components and services.
Action taken
Vossloh sold the electrical systems business to Knorr-Bremse.
Aftermath
The divestment reduced the breadth of the group and further separated infrastructure technologies from rolling-stock and electrical-system activities.
2014
Launch of comprehensive restructuringStrategyBackground
The group faced pressure to simplify management and improve the performance and strategic coherence of its international businesses.
Action taken
Vossloh appointed new executive-board members, reduced senior-management positions and reviewed sites and workforce requirements.
Aftermath
The restructuring supported later divestments of electrical systems, rail vehicles and locomotive activities and strengthened the company's infrastructure focus.
2002
Concentrate investment on rail technologyStrategyBackground
Vossloh had expanded through several rail acquisitions while still owning lighting and other non-rail activities.
Action taken
The group sold its lighting division and directed its strategic development toward railway infrastructure and related technology.
Aftermath
The transaction accelerated Vossloh's transformation from a diversified metal-and-lighting manufacturer into a rail-focused group.
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