Voith Group to acquire Czech Republic IGW Rail

York-based Voith Group is planning to take over IGW Rail, headquartered in Brno, Czech Republic. 

IGW specializes in gear units for rail vehicles and is part of the BMT Group, headquartered in Belgium. 

 Through the acquisition Voith would become one of the world’s largest independent manufacturers of rail vehicle gear units and transmissions, Voith said. A purchase agreement was signed July 6. 

 IGW Rail is a globally operating high-tech company that has specialized in customized gear unit and coupling solutions for the rail vehicle industry. Its product range covers all types of rail vehicles, from heavy locomotives to light rail, and from trams and subways to high-speed trains.  

“As Voith also supplies a wide range of components for these rail vehicle markets, IGW perfectly complements the Voith portfolio.” said

, member of the Voith Corporate Board of Management and president and CEO of Voith Turbo.     

“Sustainable drive solutions have been part of the DNA of both companies for decades. Together, we aim to push the worldwide development of innovative gear unit system solutions for all rail vehicle manufacturers,” Weizmann said. 

IGW Rail has four production facilities in Brno, Czech Republic, Pune, India, Zanesville, Ohio, and Suzhou, China, and employs around 500 people in total. Both IGW Rail and Voith expect the acquisition to offer them even greater customer proximity.  

In the last 25 years alone, IGW Rail has delivered more than 100,000 gear units and couplings worldwide. 

 “These components, that are well established on the market, need to be regularly overhauled and supplied with spare parts,” said Rudy Thoma, CEO of IGW Rail. He is looking forward to the fact that “in future, we will be able to provide even better customer service thanks to Voith’s 24/7 service solutions.” 

The deal is expected to be completed by the beginning of the fourth quarter 2022, subject to the receipt of all regulatory approvals and compliance with other customary closing conditions. The purchase price was not disclosed.