Poznań Railway Rolling Stock Repair Works

Poznań Railway Rolling Stock Repair Works (ZNTK Poznań) is an enterprise with over 150 years of history, specializing in the production, modernization, and repair of rail vehicles. It was established in 1870 when the Märkisch-Poznań Railway Company launched its first railway workshops. Over the following years, the workshops were expanded and integrated with other facilities, leading to the creation of the Main Railway Workshops in Poznań. During the interwar period, the workshops, managed by the Polish State Railways, were equipped with modern machinery and expanded their operations to cover an area of 200,000 m². During World War II, the facilities suffered significant damage, but after the war, they resumed operations under their original name and later transformed into a state-owned enterprise. In the 1990s, ZNTK was converted into a joint-stock company, and in 2005, it was acquired by the Sigma company. Despite changes in ownership and attempts at restructuring, the company's financial situation continued to deteriorate, ultimately leading to its bankruptcy in 2018. ZNTK Poznań was highly regarded in the railway industry, receiving awards and distinctions for innovative solutions, including its production of rolling bogies. An interesting fact is that in 1920, the workshops operated on a 200,000 m² site, making them one of the key repair centers in Poland. ZNTK's offerings included the production of railbuses, locomotive modernization, and facility rentals. The history of the workshops is marked by numerous twists and turns, from their establishment and wartime challenges to management changes, reflecting the complex evolution of the railway industry in Poland. The architecture of the workshops, with its many modern production halls, underscores their importance in the railway infrastructure, and the cultural heritage of ZNTK Poznań remains a significant part of the region's industrial history.