Summary: Škoda Works was founded in 1859 by Emil Škoda, and began manufacturing locomotives in Plzeň in 1920, today in Czech Republic. The company was reorganised in 1995 and adopted its current form in 2009. Initially under Škoda a.s., it later became part of Škoda Holding, which was eventually acquired by the Netherlands-based Appian Group. Major restructuring focused the business on transportation and energy, resulting in divestment of several subsidiaries. By 2010, Škoda Transportation emerged as the group’s core, achieving CZK 12.1 billion in revenue. Ownership shifted several times, involving offshore entities and Czech investors. In 2017, PPF Group acquired Škoda Transportation for €326 million, later selling the Škoda brand rights to Škoda Auto in 2022, though licensing allows use of the name until 2029. Škoda Transportation produces trams (notably the ForCity series), metro trains (e.g., for Warsaw and Sofia), and railway vehicles like RegioPanter EMUs. The company has also produced over 15,000 trolleybuses, operating across Europe.

➤ Other rolling stock suppliers in Europe: Alstom, CAF, Greenbrier Europe, Hitachi Rail Europe, Pesa, Siemens, Stadler, Talgo, Vossloh