Kombud Group is the first Polish manufacturer to be admitted to UNIFE, the European Railway Industry Association, on June 12, 2025, during the 34th UNIFE General Assembly, which took place in Warsaw.
“At Kombud Group, we have been providing modern and safe rail traffic control systems for over 30 years. The admission of our company to UNIFE is proof of our growing recognition of Poland and Polish railways in the international arena. It will enable us not only to participate in shaping European rail policy, but also to cooperate on projects concerning standardization and technological development in the rail traffic control systems sector,” Szymon Kniaź, International Director at Kombud Group, said during the ceremony.
The Polish manufacturer was established as a result of a merger between Zakłady Automatyki Kombud – a leading manufacturer of railway traffic management systems and Rail-Mil, a company operating in the field of electronics and industrial automation. The combined technological and financial capacity positions us among the leaders of the rail traffic control market in Central and Eastern Europe. Kombud Group has 65 systems and devices certified for use in the European Union.
Poland’s 2024 National Implementation Plan outlines a strategic rollout of the ERTMS/ETCS system, aiming to equip approximately 9,800 km of rail lines, primarily within the TEN-T network, with ETCS Level 2 by 2050. Currently in Poland, the implementation of ETCS has been completed on 791,69 km of railway lines, 626,72 km were equipped with, Level 2, 120,25 km in Level 1 and 50,72 km in Level 1 Limited Supervision. The older SHP (Class B) system will be gradually phased out by 2048.
At the event, besides Kombud Group, UNIFE welcomed 12 new members* from Germany, Austria, UK, Sweden, Italy, Czechia, the Netherlands and Spain.
The event was focused on the future EU rail funding, competitiveness challenges, trade and the best way to proceed with a European high-speed rail network.
“Rail is receiving attention and there is a lot of ambition – but these alone are not enough. The European Rail Supply Industry needs stable, efficient and simpler policy frameworks to achieve the ERTMS roll-out, deliver the TEN-T network and more high-speed rail for Europe, and to thrive on the Single Market and beyond with the increasing rail demand and forecast,” Enno Wiebe, UNIFE Director General, said.
With the EU MFF draft set to be delivered next month, Enno Wiebe reminded policymakers that without investment in technology, European rail networks are at risk of stagnating and failing to meet the extremely high public demand for more and frequent rail services. Furthermore, funding will be vital to ensure the resilience of the network in the context of Military Mobility.
UNIFE also affirmed its support on the European high-speed rail network, but called on the Commission to provide key details on financing and to ensure the ambitious project benefits European economies and the supply industry.
On other matters, UNIFE warned it must ensure the competitiveness of the European Rail Supply Industry in public procurement and trade – in particular through the European Commission’s upcoming review of the 2014 Public Procurement Directives. This includes establishing the rail supply industry as a ‘strategic’ industry, and ensuring European preference across procurement procedures.
*LÜTZE Transportation (DE), NKE Austria (AT), Blu Wireless Technology (UK), Westermo Network Technologies (SE), SRT (IT), Hubert+Suhner (CH), Strukton Rail (NL), Diehl Aviation Gilching (DE), NYMWAG CS (CZ), Tejasa TC – Silentflex (ES), WINDHOFF Bahn- und Anlagentechnik (DE) and Loram Limited (UK).
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