There are not many countries whose industries can compete in the European train market. Those that can are currently at the Inno Trans fair in Berlin, which is for some of them the first presentation to potential buyers.
One of them is Croatia, specifically the consortium Crotrain, consisting of Končar and Gredelj, which brought a prototype of its electric regional train to Berlin. The prototype was ceremonially presented today to the audience at the Berlin fair, among whom were a number of officials from European national railways. The representatives from Končar and Gredelj hoped that this significant event for them would also be attended by some representatives of the Croatian political elite, at least the relevant minister Božidar Kalmeta. However, Minister Kalmeta apologized, and thus the institutions of the state were represented at the presentation of the train, which has enormous potential to become one of Croatia’s most valuable export products, only by Ruđer Friganović, the state secretary in the Ministry of Economy.
Gredelj Secured a Deal with the Czechs
The stay at the Inno Trans fair was used by Zagreb’s TŽV Gredelj to sign a contract worth 10 million euros with the Czech company Legios. Gredelj will deliver a total of 2,500 frames for the bases of freight wagons to this company in this and the next year. Thanks to this contract, 90 workers at Gredelj do not have to fear for their jobs in the next year and a half.
The European train market is estimated to be around 11.5 billion euros in the next five years. The competition among manufacturers is not as numerous as it is strong in terms of the support their governments provide to their manufacturers. This is not a market for solo players, no matter how good their product is. That Gredelj and Končar have indeed created a good and attractive train for regional traffic is evidenced by numerous Asians, primarily Chinese and Koreans, who have been capturing every detail of the train with their cameras at the fair yesterday and today. Although the train features a quite attractive design at first glance (it could even be said to be more beautiful than all the competing European trains brought to the Berlin fair), the lenses of the Asian cameras are primarily focused on those parts located at the base of the train. Therefore, it could easily happen that in a few years, trains made according to the designs of Končar’s engineers will arrive on European tracks, but in China, whose state officials always have time to promote such products of their companies. (M.T.)
