TSA from Wiener Neudorf

Electrifying plans for rail and road

(Bild: Talgo)

The global expansion of public transport networks should continue to drive the business of the TSA Group from Wiener Neudorf. The company currently produces a total of 10,000 electric motors per year in Vienna and India. CEO Robert Tencl wants to ignite the turbo for electric buses.

Traktionssysteme Austria - behind this unwieldy name lies the Wiener Neudorf-based global market leader for drive systems for rail vehicles: "Vehicles with our motors are in operation in 68 countries," says Managing Director Robert Tencl. With regard to the upcoming European Football Championship, trains with TSA technology are running in all participating countries except Albania. 10,000 units leave the factory near Vienna every year. The target for this year is a turnover of 200 million euros. With 10,000 motors per year, the Lower Austrian company is the world market leader.

India is a huge market
And TSA already does around a quarter of its business in India. "We are working with a partner there, which is essential for entering the local market," says Tencl about the joint venture.

Robert Tencl, Managing Director and shareholder: "We are represented in 68 countries."

(Bild: TSA)

Growth in this region is very strong, there is still a lot of catching up to do, the importance has increased in recent years and the government is pushing ahead with rail expansion there. TSA also has a production facility in India with several hundred employees, but this only serves the local market.

Engines in use outside Europe in East Asia, Africa and the USA
TSA is also represented in Taiwan, for example, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil. "Our motors are in use on all five continents," says Tencl. The streetcar fleet in Boston is also currently being renewed, with TSA supplying around 1600 single motors that are used as twin motors. In the States, the company even has a few employees on site.

TSA is expecting strong growth in buses and other road vehicles, as as much as possible is being electrified.

(Bild: Solaris)

In Milan, an order was won this year for 736 motors to power 46 new subway trains. The motors have already been in use in the streetcars there since 2022 and have now been reordered. The rail vehicles will be built by Stadler Rail, with the Swiss manufacturer being the largest customer. TSA drives are also being installed in the new ÖBB double-decker jets in Vienna, as well as in the CAT trains. A major order was landed in Berlin. The modern subway trains were put into operation at the beginning of this year. In Vienna, the drive systems are also installed in the subway, and the Viennese Neudorf company is also working with the French manufacturer Alstom, which produces the Viennese "Bims". In Spain, the Renfre high-speed trains also run with TSA motors. Incidentally, most of the engines are installed in the Moscow metros, but since the start of the war in 2022, business relations have been completely on hold.

This is what a rather small engine in a streetcar looks like.

(Bild: TSA)

Number of engines to increase by half
As every rail vehicle is different, the motors are only manufactured to order and individually; there is no stock. "We are unique in the world when it comes to specialization. Large industrial groups also build motors for rail vehicles, but they see this as one business area among many," says Tencl. He has clear growth targets for the future: "We want to increase from 10,000 to 15,000 engines by 2030." Turnover is set to increase by 20 to 30 percent. E-motors for buses are a new field. "The megatrend of electrification is benefiting us greatly," says Tencl.

Buses currently only account for around 5 percent of sales, but this figure is set to rise; in the USA, the motors are also used for "defense" vehicles. In terms of volume, this will certainly increase sales figures. Tencl expects the bus business to grow twice as much as the train business over the next few years.

Managing director is himself a co-owner
Production takes place in Wiener Neudorf, from where all products leave the factory. With 440 employees, most of them also work here. The products are supplied from Bosnia, where very labor-intensive tasks are carried out. "However, the technology is developed in Wiener Neudorf," emphasizes Tencl, who holds a 15 percent stake in the company himself. The remainder has been held by Voith (37%) and the Swiss PCS Holding (48%) since 2020.