SCHOMA

What SCHOMA does

SCHÖMA Lokomotiven GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of specialized rail locomotives, headquartered in Diepholz, Germany, and founded in 1930. The company designs and builds custom locomotives for tunnel construction, mining, industrial shunting, special rail vehicles, and narrow-gauge applications, with its core franchise centered on tunnel locomotives. Within the tunnel product line, SCHÖMA offers five distinct drive system variants — hydrodynamic, hydrostatic, hydrostatic tandem platform car, hybrid, and battery electric — covering weight classes from 5 to 60 tonnes, engine power from 38 to 360 kW, gradients up to 7%, and track gauges up to 1,000 mm. Shunting locomotives carry German BOA (Federal Railway Authority) approval for use in regulated rail networks.

The company monetizes across four revenue streams: one-time new locomotive sales (project-specific custom builds), a buyback and resale program for second-hand locomotives (delivery 2 weeks to 4 months), a Leasing und Asset Management division offering fleet leasing on a recurring basis, and after-sales services including commissioning, inspections, conversions, general overhauls, spare parts, and operator/maintenance training programs with a seven-day customer service hotline. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales from German headquarters, supplemented by a global representative network of at least 14 regional partners covering North America, China, France, India, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, Spain/Portugal/Latin America, Brazil, Turkey, Central/Southeast Europe, Vietnam/Thailand, and Hong Kong. Reference customers include Brenner Base Tunnel, Crossrail, Doha Metro (Red Line South), Mumbai Metro P4, Sao Paulo Metro Line 5, Hong Kong Metro, York Potash, Thyssen Krupp Steel, and HEPP Hongrin, spanning tunnel, metro, mining, hydropower, water, and steel end-markets.

In July 2022 SCHÖMA entered a strategic partnership with RailTechnology to co-develop on-track rail maintenance machines including hybrid power cars, rail inspection vehicles, MPVs, and track/tunnel cleaning equipment, extending the company's addressable surface from tunnel traction into adjacent maintenance and inspection categories. Pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed; the company is privately held with no external funding rounds, M&A activity, or public filings in the source data, and is represented legally by managing directors Claudia Brennan and Michael Brennan.

Name

SCHOMA

Legal name

SCHÖMA Lokomotiven GmbH

Website

https://schoema.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SCHÖMA Lokomotiven GmbH is a German manufacturer, founded in 1930, of custom tunnel, mining, shunting, and narrow-gauge locomotives serving global infrastructure, mining, metro, hydropower, and industrial customers across 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Locomotives

NAICS

Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing (336510)

SIC

Railroad Equipment (3743)

akta.pro primary industry

Locomotive Maintenance & Overhaul (TLAKAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rail Terminal Switching, Shunting & Yard Locomotive Services (TLAJAFAF), Rail Electrification & Traction Power Infrastructure (OHL/Third Rail, Substations) (TLAJADAC)

Keywords

• Tunnel locomotives
• Mining locomotives
• Shunting locomotives
• Rail maintenance vehicles
• Narrow gauge locomotives

Headquarters

HQ city

Diepholz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. New Locomotive Manufacturing: Design, construction, and manufacturing of custom locomotives for tunnel construction, mining, shunting, and special applications. Products are sold as new builds with customized specifications for each project.
2. Second Hand / Used Locomotives: Buyback and resale program for used locomotives after project completion. Locomotives are inspected, repaired, or given complete general overhauls before resale. Delivery time ranges from 2 weeks to 4 months.
3. Leasing und Asset Management: Leasing services for locomotives and asset management solutions for fleet optimization.
4. Service, Maintenance and Training: Comprehensive after-sales services including commissioning, inspections, maintenance, conversions, general overhauls, and training programs for operators and maintenance personnel.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SCHÖMA designs, manufactures, and delivers customized rail locomotives for tunnel construction, mining, industrial shunting, special rail vehicles, and narrow gauge applications. The product range spans hydrodynamic, hydrostatic, hybrid, and battery electric drive systems, with locomotives tailored to project-specific requirements including gradients up to 7%, tunnel diameters of 5-15m, and various track gauges. The company also provides leasing, asset management, maintenance, training, and technical support services.

Product overview

SCHÖMA Lokomotiven GmbH is a leading manufacturer of locomotives serving the tunnel construction, mining, and industrial rail sectors. The product portfolio centers on tunnel locomotives as the core offering, supplemented by mining locomotives, shunting locomotives (with BOA approval), special rail vehicles, narrow gauge locomotives, and second-hand/reconditioned locomotives. Within tunnel locomotives, the company offers five distinct drive system variants: Hydrodynamic, Hydrostatic, Hydrostatic Driven Platform Car (Tandem), Hybrid, and Battery Electric. The company also provides comprehensive after-sales services including training programs, repair and maintenance, and technical support. A strategic partnership with RailTechnology extends offerings to rail maintenance machines including hybrid power cars, rail inspection vehicles, and track/tunnel cleaning equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leasing und Asset Management: A business division of SCHÖMA offering locomotive leasing and asset management services alongside locomotive manufacturing.

Products and services

• Tunnel Locomotives Custom-engineered locomotives designed for tunnel construction projects, featuring robust frame construction, low center of gravity, and latest-generation EU-emission-compliant diesel engines. Available with five distinct drive technologies for tunnel diameters 5-15m and gradients up to 7%. Sold to tunnel construction companies worldwide.
• Mining Locomotives Robust mining locomotives offering high reliability and maximum safety for underground material and personnel transport. Designed to operate efficiently in narrow shafts and extreme environmental conditions. Sold to underground mining operators globally.
• Shunting Locomotives BOA-approved shunting locomotives for industrial companies with extensive internal rail networks. Available up to 80t weight and 700kW engine power in all common track gauges. Sold to steel, building materials, and chemical industry operators for rail yard operations.
• Special Rail Vehicles Custom-designed special rail vehicles for track and maintenance tasks. Models available in power class up to 300kW and weights up to approximately 25t in two-axle and 45t in four-axle design. Also designs custom vehicles beyond rail tracks including harvesting machines and specialty equipment. Sold to industrial and infrastructure customers requiring bespoke rail equipment.
• Narrow Gauge Locomotives Locomotives for special transport requirements including tourist railways, work locomotives, and light railway operations. Designed for narrow gauge rail networks. Sold to tourist railways, amusement parks, and heritage railway operators.
• Second Hand Locomotives Used SCHÖMA locomotives that are fully inspected and repaired or offered with a complete general overhaul. SCHÖMA buys back used locomotives after project completion and resells them with delivery times of 2 weeks to 4 months ex works depending on the desired condition. Sold to customers seeking lower-cost, reconditioned locomotives.
• Leasing and Asset Management Leasing services for locomotives and asset management solutions for fleet optimization. Allows customers to deploy locomotives on a project basis without capital outlay. Sold to tunnel construction, mining, and industrial customers requiring flexible equipment access.
• After Sales Service Comprehensive after-sales support including commissioning, inspections, maintenance, conversions, general overhauls, and a customer service hotline available seven days a week. Includes complete operating and maintenance manuals with spare parts lists and design diagrams. Sold to SCHÖMA locomotive operators worldwide.
• Training Programs Comprehensive training programs for operating and maintenance personnel covering Driver Training, Basic Maintenance Training, Maintenance and Repair Training, and System Comprehension and Trouble Shooting. Sold to customer organizations deploying SCHÖMA locomotives.
• Repair and Maintenance Program Repair and maintenance services including Commissioning/Recommissioning, Inspection, Maintenance, Conversions, and General Overhaul for older locomotives covering engine, transmission, axle, pneumatic brake, and electrical systems. Sold to existing SCHÖMA locomotive operators for ongoing fleet maintenance.

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RailTechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2022Strategic partnership announced July 6, 2022 focused on market positioning of innovative railway maintenance machines. The partnership promotes cooperation in the design, development, and production of on-track machines and plant. SCHÖMA's vehicle design and build expertise is combined with RailTechnology's track maintenance and inspection technologies. The next generation includes multi-use hybrid power cars, rail inspection vehicles, MPVs, track and tunnel cleaning, and ST silent track rail grinding machines.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gmeinder: German manufacturer of diesel-hydraulic locomotives for mining, shunting, and industrial applications. Closely comparable to SCHÖMA as a German specialist OEM serving overlapping underground and industrial rail end markets with custom-engineered locomotives.
• Hunslet Engine Company: UK-based manufacturer of locomotives for industrial, mining, and tunneling applications, including narrow-gauge and battery-electric variants. Directly comparable to SCHÖMA as a niche locomotive specialist serving similar tunnel/mining customers.
• Brookville Equipment Corporation: US manufacturer of diesel-electric and battery locomotives for mining, tunneling, and industrial customers, including recent BEV deployments. Comparable to SCHÖMA across product type, customer segments (mining/tunnel), and drive-system portfolio.
• Clayton Equipment: UK-based manufacturer of narrow-gauge, mining, and industrial locomotives including battery-electric variants. Directly comparable to SCHÖMA in product mix, customization model, and underground/specialty rail customer base.
• Bemo Rail: Dutch manufacturer of small locomotives and rail vehicles for construction, industrial, and light-rail applications. Comparable to SCHÖMA in its focus on compact, custom-built rail vehicles for niche infrastructure and industrial customers.

Others

• Plasser & Theurer: Austrian manufacturer of on-track rail maintenance machinery (tampers, stabilizers, inspection vehicles). Adjacent to SCHÖMA via the RailTechnology partnership covering hybrid power cars, MPVs, and tunnel cleaning equipment.
• Robel: German manufacturer of on-track maintenance machines, work vehicles, and rail tooling. Adjacent to SCHÖMA as a German specialist in trackside rail equipment and a potential partner/competitor in the maintenance-machine space.

Broad incumbents

• Progress Rail (a Caterpillar Company): US-based major manufacturer of locomotives and rail products, including EMD locomotives and aftermarket services. Overlaps with SCHÖMA in locomotive manufacturing and rail services but serves a much broader freight/transit customer base.
• Siemens Mobility: Global rail OEM offering locomotives (Vectron, Smartron), metro systems, and rail services. Comparable to SCHÖMA in serving tunnel and rail-infrastructure customers, though as part of a much broader portfolio of rolling stock and turnkey systems.
• CRRC: Chinese state-owned rolling stock manufacturer, the world's largest by volume, supplying locomotives, metro vehicles, and rail equipment globally. Broad incumbent that competes with SCHÖMA in tunnel and mining-adjacent rail markets, particularly in Asia and emerging markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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• Facebookfacebook.com/schoemachines
• Instagraminstagram.com/schoema

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 SCHOMA