When 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 Trans-Andean railway. The culminating 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:
Engineer Jan Józef Baranowski proposed the world's first automatic train control system. Baranowski's semaphore allowed for automatic traffic management by utilizing a system of levers, pull cords, and mercury pumps that secured the travel route. His system was implemented in northern London, on the Paris - Strasbourg main line, and between Genoa and Turin.
The first phones from Radom
The Polish Electric Company "Ericsson" launched production facilities in Radom, which later transformed into the Radom Telephone Factory - RWT. During the period of the People's Republic of Poland, telephones used in all people's democracies were produced in Radom. After the system and ownership transformations, in 2013 the company was transformed into the Radom Telecommunications Factory and changed its business profile to the production of railway traffic control devices.
The Metroprojekt Design Office was established in 1951 to provide design services for the construction of the metro in Warsaw. The office’s achievements also include, among other things, the design of a heating tunnel under the Vistula River, many transportation routes, and the Children’s Health Center. The designers at Metroprojekt prepared various concepts for the route of Line I of the metro as well as technical and economic assumptions. Almost the entire Line I of the metro and a significant part of Line II were created based on the designs of Metroprojekt. In the 1990s, the office transformed into a company that eventually joined the Kombud Group.
Research and teaching staff of the Warsaw University of Technology - engineers Mariusz Maciejewski and Sławomir Jasiński are starting work on systems for the Warsaw metro. As part of the work, among others, the WT ZSiKD is being developed - a remote control and dispatcher supervision system.
The systematic expansion of the product and service offerings led to the extension 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 Plants.
At the Trako fair, Kombud won its first Ernest Malinowski Award. The RHR barrier drive was recognized as the most innovative product of the fair in the railway automation industry. The device has revolutionized the market for railway-road crossings. Thanks to its innovative design and hydraulic drive, the drive is characterized by exceptional reliability, serving faultlessly in many places for nearly 30 years. It is no wonder that more than 2500 crossing systems of the company are already in operation 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 and WTGSS – an interface device between 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 funding from the European Union, Kombud has launched an assembly line for the production of the automatic level crossing signaling system 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, resulting in the creation of new computer-based railway traffic control systems. This allowed for the launch of an LCS (Local Control Center) in Drzewica on railway line number 22. It enabled the control of what was then Poland's longest 90 km stretch of railway from a single signal box. In the following years, the baton was taken over by LCS Lubartów (about 100 km) and LCS Szczytno (close to 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 progressively expanding its portfolio of computer control systems for the metro, railways, and the defense industry. The company is securing funding for the "Automatic Control of CBTC-Class Rail Vehicles" project, which utilizes a unique combination of bidirectional 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, the Warsaw Commuter Railway, and the 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 part of ETCS L2, with MOR-3 Kombud. The heart of the laboratory is a computer system MOR-3 designed and produced by Polish engineers. It replicated the LCS Herby Nowe, located on the coal trunk line, realized as part of the LOT C contract (line no. 131). The LCS covered eight signaling districts on the route from Kalina station to Rusiec Łódzki station and allowed control of a total of 217 switches, 342 signals, and 26 level crossings.
Kombud Group S.A. is emerging.
In 2023, the owners of Kombud Automation Plant and Rail-Mil created a new holding: Kombud Group. The new group also includes companies such as Rail-Mil Computers, Metroprojekt, and Radomska Telecommunications Factory. As a result of the merger, the largest domestic company operating in the field of railway and metro traffic control, as well as military solutions, was formed.