Transportation group attracts visitors to the InnoTrans world trade fair
The Transportation group held a prominent place amongst the hundreds of exhibitors at this year’s largest world trade fair of track transport technology, InnoTrans 2008.
The Transportation group held a prominent place amongst the hundreds of exhibitors at this year’s largest world trade fair of track transport technology, InnoTrans 2008. Not far from its exhibition stand Škoda presented a “live” demonstration of two completely new products – the three-system locomotive ŠKODA 109E and the one-hundred-percent low-floored tram ŠKODA ForCity. The most important trade fair for the sector was hosted by the Berlin exhibition centre, once again after a two-year interval, as usual in September. This year’s exhibition put on by the ŠKODA group also included interesting features that attracted the attention of a large number of visitors – a station with models of contemporary products miniaturised to a scale of 1:24. In addition to the model of the ŠKODA 109E locomotive and the ŠKODA ForCity tram, visitors had the chance to see a model of the 471 suburban train unit from ŠKODA VAGONKA, the ŠKODA 24 Tr trolleybus from ŠKODA ELECTRIC for Riga and the St. Petersburg metro, which Škoda is preparing together with the Russian company ZAO VAGONMAŠ.
Visitors to InnoTrans were also very interested in seeing the new Š 109E three-system locomotive. When developing and producing the new locomotive Škoda has built its modern design technique on many years of Škoda tradition.
As part of this year’s Berlin trade fair there was an announcement of the awards from the Association of the Czech Rail Industry (ACRI) – and ŠKODA TRANSPORTATION received two awards, in the categories Innovator of the Year and Public Transport Rail Vehicles.
The current portfolio of Škoda products was also presented by representatives of the company management at a press conference, which was held actually inside the new ŠKODA ForCity low-floored tram on display. “This tram is a new-generation vehicle, whose concept, design, and technical specifications reflect the transportation needs of passengers in a modern metropolis at the beginning of the 21st century. Another revolutionary new vehicle that we are presenting here at InnoTrans is the ŠKODA 109E three-system locomotive, primarily designed for use in six countries in Central Europe. This meets all the current demands of the market, as well as the new strict European regulations, which have undergone very dynamic developments and changes over the last few years,” said general director Tomáš Krsek.
At the fair Škoda presented the ŠKODA ForCity, its new low-floored tram, a modern vehicle with a range of unconventional technical features. It differs from the previous types of vehicle produced by the Pilsen-based manufacturer and from all other vehicles currently in use in the Czech Republic in that it is completely low-floored.
The Transportation group in the Czech Republic, which put on a very successful presentation at this year’s InnoTrans trade fair, is made up of ŠKODA TRANSPORTATION s.r.o. (manufacturing trams and locomotives), ŠKODA ELECTRIC a.s. (manufacturing traction engines, drive systems and trolleybuses), ŠKODA VAGONKA a.s., based in Ostrava (originally ČKD VAGONKA, manufacturing suburban train units and motor vehicles), VÚKV, based in Prague (research and development system for rail vehicles), Pars nova a.s. Šumperk, where engine systems are modernised, and since July this year also the firm Poll, s.r.o., a Czech manufacturer of electronic systems for use in power electronics. The group also includes two foreign companies, Sibelektroprivod based in the Russian city of Novosibirsk (manufacturing traction engines and drive systems) and GANZ-ŠKODA, based in Budapest in Hungary (manufacturing drive systems and trolleybuses).
Another great attraction for visitors was also the models of the latest Škoda vehicles, which were part of the company’s trade fair stand.
ŠKODA TRANSPORTATION won two awards from the Association of the Czech Rail Industry, which were announced as part of the Berlin trade fair. The first award was in the category Innovator of the Year for its drive chassis for rail vehicles with direct wheel drives, while the second award was in the category Public Transport Rail Vehicles, for its 15T one-hundred-percent low-floored tram.