"Going Green and Going Faster; That's the Future We Envision at PESA," says Krzysztof Zdziarski

In an enlightening interview with RAILTARGET during the TRAKO 2023 fair, Krzysztof Zdziarski, the esteemed CEO of Pesa Bydgoszcz SA, delves deep into the company's vision and offerings. From unveiling hydrogen-powered shunting locomotives to emphasizing the significance of green technology and customer comfort, Zdziarski paints a vivid picture of PESA's continuous evolution. He also touches on PESA's growth trajectory, global footprint, and its aspirations for furthering its presence in international markets.

Welcome to our interview studio at the TRAKO 2023 fair. I would like to ask you about PESA activities here. What are you showcasing to your clients?

TRAKO has always been a very important trade show for us. We've been here for many years, and this year, we also took it very seriously. We are presenting a poly-homologated, tested, and working hydrogen-powered shunting locomotive, with a battery, of course. We also did some presentations for our new product, mostly on VR technology, 3D modeling, and interacting with some elements of this project. It is a tram and a line haul locomotive, and also rail coaches, including the double deck.

I saw your presentation here at TRAKO two years ago when you presented the hydrogen locomotive. Is it popular among your clients? Do they ask for this kind of product?

Definitely. Everybody is interested in it for two reasons: using renewable energy and going green. This technology we are speaking of, the one we showcased two years ago, was a prototype. Over these two years, we've fully tested and homologated it, so now it's certified to go to public areas to work.

Could you tell me what kind of innovative technologies you're preparing for the following years? Do you have any sort of plan?

I would say it's two major trends: going green and going faster. We are moving quicker. As a matter of fact, we are preparing a 200 km/h train for the Brno - Jihlava - Prague line in the Czech Republic. But also, customer comfort is a very important element. People not only want to rest on the train while traveling but also work and sometimes even eat, so it needs to be neat, tidy, and comfortable. It needs to have all the connections required, like Wi-Fi or chargers. The other aspect is that it has to be accessible for different items people want to carry, starting from the luggage, which is obvious, but also some other sports equipment like snowboards or skis, and also people need a lot of positioning areas for bikes. Accessibility is very important even when it comes to the floor on the train, so handicapped people or people with limited moving parameters can also use the trains comfortably. That is what PESA does. We push our products towards being new and modern.

PESA is very active in the Czech Republic and Poland. Which other foreign markets are interesting for you?

Our prime territory is the European Union. Coming from the south, that is, Romania, Bulgaria, then the Czech Republic and Hungary - that's where we are present with both trams and trains. Then going up north to the Baltic countries, and we are also working on some projects for the Nordic countries. Italy and Germany have been our big markets as well. Basically speaking, if you mark a circle around Poland, we are trying to be there. We also go on a little bit more opportunistically towards intercontinental territories. We have some jobs in Asia and Africa.

Could you tell us how 2023 has been for PESA and its economic area and sales?

We grew above 20 percent compared to the previous year, which is a very good goal. Obviously, we haven't grown bigger since the year is not over yet, but that's the plan, and it seems we are forecasting to fulfill it. We definitely mean to grow and go a little bit outside the country. We are now producing more than 50 percent for export. The countries, markets, or carriers we work with accept our developments, and we are very happy working for them. We would love to increase that even more.