Rolling Stock

A Division, specializing in industrial projects, was established in the mid-sixties, within the framework of the Hellenic Shipyards’ diversification policy, that aimed to take advantage of the capabilities of its production facilities as well as of the experience of its workforce.

Over the next twenty years a large number of industrial contracts formed part of the Divisions’ order book. These included, amongst others, specialized constructions for sugar refineries and textile plants, pressure vessels, industrial containers, structures and platforms for offshore drilling, cranes and special hatch covers.

The success of the various industrial projects undertaken by the Division inevitably led to the expansion of its activities into other areas, and most notably into the construction, conversion and repair of rolling stock. This occurred in the mid-eighties, when under pressure from the decline in traditional ship-repairing activity, and led to the establishment of a Rolling Stock Production Branch.

Specifically, in 1986 and in conjunction with the acquisition of the relevant know-how from other established rolling stock manufacturers such as MAN, and Waggonbau Bautzen Gmbh, the Branch undertook and successfully completed contracts with the Hellenic Railway Organization (OSE). These included the production and/or conversion of diesel railcar units for normal and metric gauge, high comfort intercity trains as well as passenger coaches and sleeping cars.

In 1990, in collaboration with MAN and Siemens AG, the Division successfully completed a contract for the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways (ISAP) involving the construction of metro-type electric units.

In late 1997, under the direction of the Greek state, which controlled the principal shareholder of the Shipyard - the Hellenic Bank for Industrial Development, HSY signed a number of large contracts with the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) for the construction of 314 wagons of different types. These included aluminum electric rail–cars (EMUs), diesel rail–cars (DMUs) and high-speed passenger coaches as well as the conversion of 107 run-down passenger coaches.

A contract was also signed with the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railway Co (ISAP) for the construction of 120 metro-type electric rail cars. All of these contracts had a value totaling 694.3_ mil. and involved joint ventures with various well known European manufacturers - like Siemens A.G. Temoinsa, Stadler and Bombardier as well as with Greek companies. Despite numerous problems that arose from these contracts, problems that were mainly associated with the changing ownership status of the Company as well as with the crisis that hit all European shipbuilding and ship-repairing facilities in the 1980s and 1990s, the contracts are in the process of being completed and all work will be finished by 2006.

The Industrial Division has a workforce of about 650 persons, all them fully employed. The production process starts at a large building devoted to the construction of various types of wagons frames, the so-called car body shell. Once a shell is constructed, it is moved to the adjacent sandblasting and painting complex, solely dedicated to the rolling stock work.

The wagons are then moved to an extensive outfitting complex, where each wagon is equipped in accordance to the strict specifications of the client. Finally the finished wagons are tested to the dedicated commissioning and testing facilities before they are delivered to the customers. The Shipyard’s fully equipped carpentry, pipe, plate and machine shops provide the requisite support for all outfitting requirements. The Division also provides standing test bays as well as a one-kilometer long electrified line for running the final tests on each wagon.

Hellenic Shipyards S.A. is thus the major Greek manufacturer of rolling stock with extensive experience and know-how in a large variety of different rail technologies and different types of rolling stock. Therefore, it is an ideal partner to form strategic alliances with multinational and European companies in order to jointly produce and supply rolling stock for the Greek and the international markets.