TMH International Celebrates Two Years Of Existence

TMH International, the international subsidiary of the privately-owned Russian rail manufacturing group TMH, celebrates two years of activity on the global railway market. Established in 2018, the company is now present in six countries on three continents (Argentina, South Africa, Cuba, Egypt, Hungary, and Kazakhstan).

Since its creation, TMH International has grown to 1,100 employees and expanded its geographical footprint, most recently in Europe with the acquisition of the Dunakeszi works in Hungary. The latter will serve as a regional manufacturing and services hub for Eastern Europe. TMH’s ambition is to further grow in Europe, Africa and Latin America.

The company is led by a management team of international experienced and enthusiastic experts from the leading brands of the global railway industry. Hans Schabert, former CEO of Siemens Mobility and Vossloh, is President of TMH International. Key functions such as Commercial, Technical, Operations, Procurement, Human Resources, but also country management are led by managers with extensive career paths at Alstom, Siemens Mobility, Bombardier Transportation, GE or Stadler.

TMH International strategy is built around three pillars: being an industrial investor, a technological partner and a services provider to its customers. Kirill Lipa, TMH Group CEO, said: „At TMH, we believe that each country in the world deserves its own rail industry. Our approach is to choose a specific country and to develop the rail industry, ensuring the production, supply, and maintenance of all types of rolling stock for all types of infrastructure to all possible customers. The big export model is no longer on the agenda. 

Whether it is Argentina, South Africa or Hungary, the railway industry has been suffering from structural lack of investment, like was the Russian rail industry in 2002 when the TMH Group was created. TMH successfully integrated and developed eleven rolling stock manufacturing sites in Russia. Today, the Group enjoys a leading market position in the country and ranks No. 6 worldwide."

In joint ventures with local companies, TMH International has invested in industrial facilities in Argentina, South Africa, Kazakhstan, and Hungary to serve the larger regional markets with their different rail standards. With over 100 years of history, the sites of Mechita (Argentina), Boksburg (South Africa) and Dunakeszi (Hungary) benefit from an extensive expertise in the railway industry.

Hans Schabert, TMH International President, explains: „Our business model is based on partnerships with local players who introduce us to the market, customers and local specifics. We develop a full value chain relying on the local workforce and supply chain. We aim at reaching the highest possible level of localisation, while keeping a very light management structure at our Swiss headquarter.“

In Cuba and Egypt, the company is present with the supply of rolling stock to replace ageing fleets and increase the reliability and safety of passenger transportation. In Egypt, TMH International is supplying 1,300 carriages - the largest ever rolling stock order in the history of the Egyptian Railways. The company also acts as a supplier to the global rail industry, working in close partnership with Bombardier and Progress Rail in South Africa for the refurbishment and sub-assembly of locomotives, but also with Alstom and Wabtec for the manufacturing of electric and diesel locomotives in Kazakhstan, and for the supply of parts and key components in Russia.

In Rail Services, TMH International has developed two key competences in Argentina. The repair and maintenance of rolling stock manufactured by CRRC, specifically for SOFSE state-owned operator, and depot management, with now four depots run by TMH on behalf of NCA (Nuevo Central Argentino) freight company to provide light maintenance and preparation to operations of their fleets.