ON January 4 the Czech Republic’s Office for the Protection of Economic Competition decided to allow Skoda Holding to buy 100% of the shares of CKD Vagónka from 11 Fite Group, owner of the residual CKD Holding businesses.
CKD Vagónka, which employs 300 people and has annual sales of KC1·5bn, will become part of Skoda Transportation. Until December 10 Skoda’s rolling stock business was known as Skoda Dopravní Technika, but the name has been changed as the company believes this will help to boost its international activities.
On November 29 Skoda signed a contract to acquire a 50% stake in a joint venture with Dedal Group which will control Russian company Sibelektroprivod, a manufacturer of electrical drive units for railway vehicles and trolleybuses. The Novosibirsk-based firm has annual revenues of KC400m, and employs 1050 people.
The Dedal Group produces coaches, metro trains and trams, and controls a number of companies across Russia. Skoda is currently co-operating with Dedal on a contract to supply 10 trainsets for the Kazan metro.
- Skoda is to supply electrical equipment for 14 more Class 471 3 kV double-deck EMUs to work Praha suburban services, which will be assembled at CKD Vagónka’s Ostrava-Vitkovice plant. The companies also plan to develop a Class 675 3 kV DC/25 kV 50Hz variant for inter-regional use.
