Thinking about the history of Kombud Group, we are inspired by generations of Polish engineers who created Polish technical thought in the fields of infrastructure, railways, telecommunications, and railway traffic control. Many of us learned in school about Ernest Malinowski, who emigrated to Peru in the 19th century and was the chief builder of the Transandean railway. The highest point of this route, at an altitude of 4817.8 m above sea level, was the highest railway point in the world until 2005. At Kombud, we also remember a few other outstanding engineers:
Eng. Adam Idźkowski graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the University of Warsaw, and in 1828 he developed and published "Project for a road under the Vistula River to connect Warsaw with Praga," in which he presented plans for the construction of the first tunnel linking both sides of the Vistula.
Engineer Jan Józef Baranowski proposed the world's first automatic train traffic control system. Baranowski's semaphore allowed for automatic control of traffic using a system of levers, cables, and mercury pumps, which secured the path of travel. His Baranowski system was installed, among other places, in North London, on the Paris - Strasbourg main line, and Genoa - Turin.
The first phones from Radom
The Polish Joint-Stock Electric Company "Ericsson" launched production plants in Radom, which later transformed into the Radom Telephone Factory - RWT. During the period of the Polish People's Republic, telephones used in all people's democracies were produced in Radom. After the political and ownership changes, in 2013 the company transformed into the Radom Telecommunications Factory and changed its business profile to the production of railway traffic control devices.
The Project Office "Metroprojekt" was established in 1951 to provide design services for the construction of the metro in Warsaw. The office's achievements also include, among others, the design of a heating tunnel under the Vistula River, many communication routes, and the Children's Health Center. The designers of Metroprojekt prepared various concepts for the route of the first metro line and technical-economic assumptions. Almost the entire first metro line and a significant part of the second line were developed based on Metroprojekt's designs. In the 1990s, the office transformed into a company, which later joined the Kombud Group.
Scientists and educators from Warsaw University of Technology - engineers Mariusz Maciejewski and Sławomir Jasiński are starting work on systems for the Warsaw metro. As part of the project, among other things, WT ZSiKD is being developed – a remote control and dispatcher supervision system.
The systematic widening of the product and service offer led to the expansion of the facilities and the purchase of property at 7 Wrocławska Street in Radom, where the Mechanical Processing Center is currently located. In the following year, the company transformed into a Joint Stock Company Kombud Automation Works.
At the Trako fair, Kombud won its first Ernest Malinowski award. The RHR gate drive was recognized as the most innovative product of the fair in the railway automation industry. The device has revolutionized the market for level crossings. Thanks to its innovative design and hydraulic drive, the drive is characterized by exceptional reliability, serving without failure in many locations for almost 30 years. It's no wonder that there are already over 2500 crossing systems of the company operating across the country.
Mariusz Maciejewski and Sławomir Jasiński are founding the company JMA and are creating, among other things, WTUZm – the first Polish electronic dependency devices for the Warsaw Metro, as well as WTGSS – the interface devices between the dependency devices (including WTUZm) and the SOP-2 system for the Warsaw Metro (SIL-4).
Starting the assembly line for automatic level crossing signaling
Thanks to funds from the European Union, Kombud has launched an assembly line for the production of the automatic crossing signal RASP-4F. At the same time, the first decade of the 21st century was a period of investment, professionalization, ISO certification, increased employment, and production capacity.
The longest LCS in Poland
Subsequent European projects enabled the implementation of a research and development project that resulted in the creation of new computer-based railway traffic control systems. This made it possible to launch the LCS (Local Control Centre) in Drzewica on railway line no. 22. It allowed the control of the then longest 90 km stretch of railway line in Poland from a single signal box. In the following years, the priority was taken over by LCS Lubartów (about 100 km) and LCS Szczytno (nearly 200 km).
The beginning of work on the automatic train control system
The company Rail-Mil, led by Mariusz Maciejewski, Sławomir Jasiński, and Krzysztof Gońda, is successfully expanding its portfolio of computer control systems for the metro, railways, and the defense industry. The company secures funding for the project "Automatic control of CBTC class rail vehicles, utilizing a unique combination of bi-directional wireless data transmission and components of the interoperable ETCS railway system, increasing the level of efficiency and safety in urban rail transport."
Kozienice Power Plant, CMK and many other stations
Thanks to the development of its own control systems and experienced personnel, Kombud has built a reputation as a reliable, flexible, and competent supplier, which has allowed for the dynamic growth of its sales portfolio and the execution of demanding investment projects such as the Central Rail Line, Warsaw Gdańska, Warsaw Commuter Railway, and Kozienice Power Plant.
Launching the ETCS laboratory
in Radom
The developed interface allowed for the connection of the RBC (Radio Block Centre) system, which is a component of ETCS L2, with the MOR-3 Kombud. The heart of the laboratory is the MOR-3 computer system designed and manufactured by Polish engineers. It recreated the LCS Herby Nowe, located on the coal trunk line, implemented under contract LOT C (line no. 131). The LCS covered eight signal control systems along the route from Kalina station to Rusiec Łódzki station and enabled the control of a total of 217 switches, 342 signals, and 26 level crossings.
Kombud Group S.A. is being established.
In 2023, the owners of Kombud Automation Plants and Rail-Mil created a new holding: Kombud Group. The new group also includes companies such as Rail-Mil Computers, Metroprojekt, and Radomska Telecommunications Manufacturing Plant. As a result of the merger, the largest domestic company operating in the field of railway and metro traffic control, as well as solutions for the military, was established.