Škoda Transportation
Škoda Transportation a.s. is a Czech engineering company that continues the legacy of Škoda Works' rolling stock manufacturing that started at the end of 19th century in Pilsen. Following the first world war, the Works commenced locomotive production in a separate factory dedicated to that purpose. This factory became a separate company in the 1990s. Today, Škoda Transportation develops and manufactures electric rail vehicles for urban and railway transport.
Škoda Transportation fully or partially owns a number of other companies active in the field of development and manufacturing of rolling stock, electric motors and related products in several European countries. In April 2018, the European Commission cleared purchase of the group by PPF, a financial and investment group incorporated in the Netherlands.
Škoda Transportation group of companies is among the world's largest manufacturers of trams and propulsion units for trolleybuses and a significant regional producer of railway vehicles.
History
Škoda Works
Count Waldstein established a metallurgical factory in Pilsen in 1859. Starting with 100 employees, the factory was making products for breweries, sugar mills, mines, as well as steam engines and railway products. The factory was bought by its chief engineer Emil Škoda in 1869. By the end of the century, Škoda Works became one of the largest enterprises in Europe, focusing mainly on the production of heavy arms and heavy ship components.Apart from military production, the Works were also producing a number of rolling stock components by the end of the 19th century: wheels, axles, hoops and steam engines. During the first world war the company started refurbishing locomotives. By 1918, the company had 35.000 employees and a debilitating debt accrued due to unpaid military deliveries to the Central Powers as well as unpaid pre-war loan that the company provided to China.
Locomotive factory
As a part of its shift towards non-military production, the Works earmarked a portion of its facilities for manufacturing of locomotives. 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.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.
Meanwhile in another factory building situated in Pilsen, Škoda started producing electrical propulsion units for trams in the early 1920s. In 1936 the company started producing trolleybuses.
Production of locomotives as well as trolleybuses continued during the company's period of nationalization after the WW2. After fall of communism in 1989, Škoda Works were transformed into a joint stock company, the assets of which were later diversified into several separate entities, among them also Škoda Dopravní Technika s. r. o. which included the rolling stock factory in Pilsen and which was renamed to Škoda Transportation in 2004.
In the early 1990s, the company started working also on refurbishment of trams, which was followed by introduction of its first own tram design in 1997, the low-floor Škoda 03 T.
Škoda Transportation
The Czech Republic sold Škoda Transportation to private owners in 2002. While in private hands, the company extended its reach by purchasing stock in other companies that are active in production and R&D of rolling stock in Europe. Today, Škoda Transportation group of companies is one of the world's largest manufacturers of trams and propulsion units for trolleybuses as well as a significant regional producer of locomotives and electric trains.Daughter and affiliate companies
Škoda Transportation a.s. daughter and affiliated companies| Name | Stake | Place | Focus | Turnover CZK |
| Škoda Transportation a.s. | parent | Pilsen, Czech Republic | rolling stock manufacturer locomotives, multiple units, trams | 7.721.594.000 |
| Škoda Vagonka a.s. | 100 | Ostrava, Czech Republic | rolling stock manufacturer passenger cars, multiple units Company founded in 1900 as Staudinger Waggonfabrik A.G. | 2.031.624.000 |
| Ganz-Skoda Electric Ltd. | 100 | Budapest, Hungary | rolling stock manufacturer | |
| OOO Vagonmaš | 51 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | rolling stock manufacturer | |
| Škoda Transtech | 75 | Oulu, Finland | rolling stock manufacturer | 2.874.658.000 |
| Škoda Electric a.s. | 100 | Pilsen, Czech Republic | electric drives and traction motors for trolleybuses, locomotives, multiple units, trams | 2.498.656.000 |
| Pars nova a.s. | 100 | Šumperk, Czech Republic | rolling stock renovations, repairs and refurbishment | 2.553.419.000 |
| Movo spol. s r.o. | 100 | Pilsen, Czech Republic | rolling stock renovations, repairs and refurbishment | 57.908.000 |
| POLL, s.r.o. | 100 | Prague, Czech Republic | development and manufacturing of electronic systems for applications in power electronics and other fields of electrical engineering | 124.517.000 |
| Škoda TVC s.r.o. | 100 | Pilsen, Czech Republic | production and installation of repeated single piece or small series of parts and subassemblies, especially for rail technique, machine tools and power industry | 184.004.000 |
| Lokel s.r.o. | 100 | Ostrava, Czech Republic | development and manufacturing of railway vehicle control systems | 61.036.000 |
| Škoda City Service s.r.o. | 100 | Pilsen, Czech Republic | City of Pilsen public transport service operator | 259.880.000 |
| Trading RS Sp. z o.o. | 100 | Warsaw, Poland | represents group's interests in the Polish market | |
| Skoda Transportation USA, LLC | 100 | Baltimore, MD, USA | represents group's interests in the US market | |
| SKODA Transportation Deutschland GmbH | 75 | Munich, Germany | sales/technical support/maintenance unit responsible for business development in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. | |
| OOO Skoda-R | 99 | Moscow, Russia | ||
| PRAGOIMEX a.s. | 32 | Prague, Czech Republic | rolling stock manufacturer trams | |
| Zaporizkiy Elektrovoz | 49 | Zaporizhia, Ukraine |
The group of companies employed close to 5,600 people in 2015, with revenues reaching CZK 17 billion.