What HANNING & KAHL does

HANNING & KAHL GmbH & Co KG is a fourth-generation, family-owned German manufacturer founded in 1898 in Bielefeld and headquartered in Oerlinghausen since 1992. The company designs and produces safety-critical subsystems for rail-bound transport, organized into two divisions: Rolling Stock (hydraulic brake systems, hydraulic level regulation via LevelMaster®, GripMaster® sanding systems, brake electronics, electro-hydraulic modules, and rail brakes) and Infrastructure (point-setting systems, switch controls built on the proprietary HN-P secure computer, line signal systems, level crossing safety systems, depot controls, depot management systems, driver assistance systems, and vehicle detection). Its proprietary ConnAct® platform unifies switch control, signaling, and depot management for streetcar and city-railway operators, and the company maintains IRIS certification and CENELEC-compliant SIL classification services.

The company sells directly to public transport operators, metro authorities, industrial and port railways, and non-federal railways through its Oerlinghausen headquarters, wholly-owned subsidiaries in the USA (HANNING & KAHL L.P., Bridgeport, PA), China, and Verkehrsautomatisierung Berlin GmbH (depot management), complemented by 29 international foreign representations. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of safety-critical components and a meaningful services stream covering assembly, commissioning, preventive maintenance, training, spare parts, obsolescence management, and 24-hour hotline support. Pricing is via custom B2B enterprise quotations; no public pricing or revenue disclosure exists. The 2017 export share was 58%, indicating a globally distributed customer base anchored by long product lifecycles of approximately 30 years with original spare parts availability.

Name

HANNING & KAHL

Legal name

Hanning & Kahl GmbH & Co KG

Website

https://hanning-kahl.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

HANNING & KAHL is a fourth-generation, family-owned German manufacturer of safety-critical subsystems for rail transport, producing hydraulic brake systems, level regulation, sanding systems, point drives, and signaling technology for tram, metro, light-rail, and industrial railway operators worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Railway Signaling and Brake Systems

NAICS

Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing (336510), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (48821)

SIC

Railroad Equipment (3743)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban Rail Rolling Stock Operations & Maintenance (Train Ops/Depots) (THAIABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Braking Systems Maintenance & Overhaul (Pneumatic/Electro-Pneumatic) (TLAKAIAF), Automatic Train Control / Protection Supervision (ATP/ETCS/PTC Oversight) (TLAJAEAC)

Keywords

• Rail brake systems
• Railway signaling technology
• Rail switch controls
• Rolling stock components
• Rail depot management

Headquarters

HQ city

Oerlinghausen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Rolling Stock: Sale of hydraulic braking systems, level regulation systems, sanding systems, and rail brakes for streetcars, city railways, and metros.
2. Product Sales - Infrastructure: Sale of switch systems, switch controls, signal systems, depot management systems, level crossing safety systems, and accessories for rail infrastructure.
3. Services and Maintenance: Assembly and commissioning, preventive maintenance, on-site service, training, spare parts management, obsolescence management, and 24-hour hotline service.
4. Testing and Service Equipment: Sale of testing and service equipment for infrastructure and brake components including HZM measurement devices.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HANNING & KAHL designs, manufactures and sells safety-relevant subsystems for rail-bound transportation. Its Rolling Stock portfolio covers hydraulic brake systems, hydraulic level regulation (LevelMaster®) and rail sanding systems (GripMaster®) for trams, city railways and metros. Its Infrastructure portfolio covers point setting systems, switch controls based on the HN-P secure computer, line signal systems, level crossing safety systems, depot controls and the modular ConnAct® control platform. The company complements these with assembly and commissioning, preventive maintenance, training, spare parts, RAMS management and a 24-hour hotline.

Product overview

HANNING & KAHL offers a comprehensive portfolio of safety-relevant solutions for rail-bound transport, organized into Rolling Stock products (hydraulic brake systems, hydraulic level regulation, sanding systems, rail brakes) and Infrastructure products (control and safety technology, point setting systems). The product portfolio includes the LevelMaster® for integrated hydraulic level regulation, GripMaster® for sanding systems, and ConnAct® as a modular communication and control system. The company also provides extensive services including assembly and commissioning, preventive maintenance, training, spare parts management, and 24-hour hotline support. The Rolling Stock division develops hydraulic brake systems, hydraulic level regulations, sanding systems and rail brakes for trams, city railways, and metros, while the Infrastructure division creates point setting systems, switch controls, line signal systems, and depot management systems. Both divisions complement their portfolios with conventional and innovative service products, training, and 24-hour service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LevelMaster®: Integrated hydraulic level regulation system for rail vehicles.
• GripMaster®
• ConnAct®
• Systemvariante Avenio TZ
• Systemvariante Urbos
• ForCity

Products and services

• Hydraulic Brake Systems (Hydraulische Bremssysteme) Complete hydraulic brake systems for rail-bound vehicles, including spring accumulators, active brake calipers, brake discs, hydro units, brake electronics, electro-hydraulic modules, auxiliary release devices and rail brakes. Sold to streetcar, city railway and metro operators.
• LevelMaster® Integrated Hydraulic Level Regulation Integrated hydraulic level regulation system that compensates for height differences on rail vehicles to prevent hazards for passengers. Designed for low-floor trams, city railways and metros.
• GripMaster® Sanding System Sanding system that applies sand to rails to ensure safe braking and acceleration of rail vehicles. Targeted at tram, city railway and metro operators.
• Control and Safety Technology (Leit- und Sicherungstechnik) Modular control and safety systems for rail infrastructure including switch controls (HN-P), line signal systems, level crossing safety systems, depot controls, vehicle detection, driver assistance systems and depot management. Sold to metro, streetcar, city railway and private/industrial railway operators.
• Point Setting Systems (Weichenstellsysteme) Electric and manual point drives and systems for guided rail transport, including Series 61.1 (with Metro variant), 500, H715 and manual series 40, 42, 160, 180. Sold to public transport operators and private/industrial railways.
• ConnAct® Modular Communication and Control System Modular communication and control system specifically developed for rail-bound transport requirements, including switch control, signal systems and depot management. Designed for street and city rail systems.
• Test and Service Equipment (Prüf- und Servicegeräte) Testing and service equipment for infrastructure and brake components, including the HZM measurement system, hydraulic simulator and mobile test units, plus axle short-circuit testing devices for vehicles.
• Rail System Services and Lifecycle Support Service portfolio covering assembly and commissioning, preventive maintenance, on-site service, training, spare parts management, obsolescence management, RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, Safety) management and a 24-hour hotline for customers of HANNING & KAHL rail products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products with 30-year service life
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• Verkehrsautomatisierung Berlin GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwn subsidiary providing customer-friendly synergy concept. Together with HANNING & KAHL, offers depot controls and depot management systems from a single source.
• 29 International Foreign RepresentationsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorldwide network of 29 local partners providing sales and service support. Complemented by own subsidiaries in USA and China for direct market presence.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stadler Rail: Stadler Rail manufactures trams, metros, and regional trains, integrating braking and signaling subsystems from suppliers; it is a relevant OEM peer shaping procurement preferences for HANNING & KAHL's safety-critical components.
• Knorr-Bremse: Knorr-Bremse is the global leader in braking systems and other safety-critical systems for rail and commercial vehicles. It is the closest direct competitor to HANNING & KAHL's hydraulic brake portfolio for trams, metros, and light rail vehicles.
• Voith: Voith provides drivetrain, braking, and rail vehicle systems with strong overlap in hydraulic braking and rail drives for trams and metros; it competes directly with HANNING & KAHL's Rolling Stock division.
• Wabtec: Wabtec (Westinghouse Air Brakes) is a major supplier of rail braking, signaling, and electronic control products, comparable to HANNING & KAHL in both safety-critical braking and signaling for transit and mainline applications.
• Thales: Thales is a leading provider of urban rail signaling, CBTC, and train control systems, directly competing with HANNING & KAHL in switch controls and signaling for metros and light rail.
• Pintsch: Pintsch is a German rail infrastructure specialist with historic overlap in switch systems, signaling, and level crossing protection—closely comparable to HANNING & KAHL's Infrastructure portfolio.
• CAF: CAF is a Spanish rolling stock and rail systems manufacturer supplying trams, metros, and light rail vehicles, with overlapping subsystem offerings including braking and signaling for urban rail operators.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Mobility: Siemens Mobility supplies rolling stock, signaling, and rail infrastructure globally, with overlapping offerings in switch controls, signaling, and integrated train protection (ETCS). It competes with HANNING & KAHL on larger transit authority tenders.
• Alstom: Alstom is a global rail OEM and signaling provider (Atlas, CBTC) with overlap in signaling, depot management, and rail vehicle subsystems, making it a broad incumbent peer across both of HANNING & KAHL's divisions.
• Hitachi Rail: Hitachi Rail delivers signaling, rolling stock, and digital train control solutions globally; its urban rail signaling portfolio and depot management offerings overlap with HANNING & KAHL's Infrastructure division.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HANNING & KAHL