riecken maschinenbau

What riecken maschinenbau does

Riecken Maschinenbau GmbH is a family-owned German manufacturer of rail turnout and track superstructure components, founded in 1964 in Neuenkirchen and now headquartered in Bramsche, Germany. The company designs, develops, and produces point setting mechanisms (WZA and ZA types), adapter switches (Ad), patented EASY crossings, track drainage systems, derailers, ground boxes, expansion joints, and point accessories for vignol and grooved rail profiles covering gauges from 900mm to 1600mm. Production is approximately 100% in-house, including CNC machining, welding, and finishing, enabling custom-made solutions and small-batch production alongside standard catalog items. Riecken holds at least three granted patents covering its EASY Crossing system, Adapter Switch, and Track Drainage families.

The company's commercial model is B2B, sales-led, and quote-based, targeting public transport operators, turnout manufacturers, and track installers. It is a Q1-certified supplier to Deutsche Bahn and serves a reference list that includes DB, BVG Berlin, Hamburger Hochbahn, Amsterdam GVB, STIB Brussels, Stadtwerke München, HVV Hamburg, BOMOB, and DB Bahnbau, with a Europe-wide footprint and selected North American activity. Beyond product sales, Riecken generates service revenue through on-site maintenance, repair, and servicing, and runs paid training courses, seminars, and workshops via the RIECKEN Academy sub-brand in partnership with RT Consult. The company employs approximately 50 people, including designers, technicians, welding experts, machining specialists, and consultants, and is currently managed in its second generation by Christoph Riecken.

Name

riecken maschinenbau

Legal name

Riecken Maschinenbau GmbH

Website

https://riecken-maschinenbau.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Riecken Maschinenbau is a family-owned German manufacturer that designs and produces custom rail turnout components, point mechanisms, patented crossings, drainage systems, and switches for European public and light rail operators, serving Deutsche Bahn, major municipal transit authorities, and turnout manufacturers with ~100% in-house production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rail Infrastructure Components

NAICS

Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (33699)

SIC

Railroad Equipment (3743)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Maintenance-of-Way (MOW) Equipment & Services (Tamping, Grinding, Renewal) (TLAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bridges, Viaducts & Elevated Guideway Construction (IMAFAFAF)

Keywords

• Rail infrastructure components
• Track switch systems
• Railway turnout parts
• Point setting mechanisms
• Track drainage systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Bramsche

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Track Infrastructure Products: Sale of specialized rail track components including switches, point mechanisms, drainage systems, derailers, and crossings. Custom-made solutions and small batch production.
2. Maintenance and Servicing: On-site maintenance, repair, and servicing of track infrastructure products.
3. Training and Seminars: Training courses, seminars and workshops through Riecken Academy in partnership with RT Consult on welding techniques, maintenance and quality assurance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Riecken Maschinenbau GmbH manufactures rail infrastructure components — including point setting mechanisms, switches/tongue devices, track drainage systems, derailers, expansion joints, EASY crossings, and point accessories — for public transport and local rail networks. Production is nearly 100% in-house, with custom solutions for individual customer requirements down to small batch sizes.

Product overview

Riecken Maschinenbau is a manufacturer of rail infrastructure components for public transport and local rail networks. The product portfolio consists of mechanical/physical track components rather than software products. The core offerings include Point Setting Mechanisms (WZA/ZA types) as the primary product category, complemented by supplementary components including Tie Bars and Fishplates, Track Drainage systems (GR/GRI, TR/TRI series), Derailers, Ground Boxes, Point Accessories, Expansion Joints, and EASY Crossings. The company also produces Switches/Tongue Devices with their patented adapter switch technology. Products are manufactured in-house with almost 100% vertical integration, serving both standard applications and custom/special solutions for individual customer requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RIECKEN Academy: Training and seminar services offered in partnership with RT Consult covering welding techniques, maintenance and quality assurance
• EASY-Kreuzungen

Products and services

• Point Setting Mechanisms (Weichenstellvorrichtungen) Point setting mechanisms for Vignol and grooved rail points across all profiles, for gauges from 900mm to 1600mm. Available as WZA and ZA types for simple throwable or trailable points with openings of 30mm to 160mm; can be manually operated or mechanically driven with core magnet or electro-hydraulic drives. Supplied with EBA 2274-certified robust lever boxes, with or without signals, light plates, bearers, stand lock, and track. For public transport and local rail networks.
• Tie Bars, Gauge Bars and Fishplates (Spurstangen und Laschen) Common permanent way products including guard rail tie bars, anchor arms, flat fishplates, and cranked fishplates for all rail profiles, available with or without insulation. For track installers and rail operators.
• Track Drainage (Gleisentwässerung) Patented track drainage boxes (GR/GRI, TR/TRI, GV/GVI, TV/TVI systems) that quickly drain rainwater and contaminants from the groove area of rail into drainage channels. Available in various versions for different rail profiles; comply with DIN EN 1433 D400 E600 for heavy-duty traffic. For tram and rail operators.
• Derailers and End Stops (Gleissperren) Derailers used worldwide for rail safety. Available with or without signal facility, grounding box, for any rail profile, in locked supported or open positions. Options include electrical drives (Siemens/Adtranz) and explosion-proof designs. For rail safety in public transport and industrial track.
• Ground Boxes (Schutzkästen) Protective casings for track components including point heating systems and universal track boxes. Protect against water, vibration, dirt and road vehicles; robust welded construction suitable for heavy-load traffic. For track infrastructure operators.
• Point Accessories (Weichenzubehör) Point accessories including ribbed base plates, filling plates, rail supports, lining plates, and bearing studs, available in all variants to meet customer requirements. For turnout manufacturers and track installers.
• Expansion Joints (Dehnungsstöße) Products that compensate for thermal expansion and contraction of rails, installed at expansion gaps on bridges and locations where thermal buckling could occur. Maintain track position. For rail infrastructure on bridges and exposed track sections.
• EASY Crossings (EASY-Kreuzungen) Patented interlocking design crossings that eliminate welding requirements, based on push-fit assembly of upper and lower beams. Offers 60% reduction in installation time, significantly reduced traversing noise, and at least 3.5-fold economic life compared to conventional welded versions. For tram and rail crossings in public transport networks.
• Switches / Tongue Devices (Zungenvorrichtungen) Adapter switches (Ad) that can be quickly replaced during operation using keyed connections instead of welding. Includes adapter tongues for full depth grooved rail points (FlAd), shallow depth grooved rail points, and Vignol rail points (FzAd). Switch blades manufactured from manganese or bainitic steel. For turnout manufacturers and rail operators.
• Maintenance and Servicing On-site maintenance, repair, and servicing of Riecken track infrastructure products, including emergency response. Service team travels to customer site for regular maintenance or emergencies via phone (+49 5461 801480). For public transport operators and track installers using Riecken products.
• Riecken Academy Training Training courses, seminars, and workshops delivered in partnership with RT Consult, covering welding techniques, maintenance, and quality assurance for rail track products. For technicians, welders, and quality assurance personnel in rail infrastructure.
• Custom Development and Construction Custom engineering and design of special solutions for individual track construction project requirements, including development of patented in-house products such as EASY crossings, adapter switches, and specialized drainage systems. Delivered as complete special solutions ready for installation without on-site assembly. For turnout manufacturers, transport operators, and track construction projects with non-standard requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% reduction in installation and closure times with EASY crossings compared to conventional welded versions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RT ConsultsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining and seminar partnership for Riecken Academy providing welding techniques, maintenance and quality assurance courses.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schwihag AG: Swiss-based manufacturer of turnout components, point mechanisms, and rail infrastructure parts. A niche European competitor of similar size to Riecken focused on customised turnout parts and switch hardware.
• voestalpine Railway Systems: Austrian-headquartered division of voestalpine that manufactures railway turnouts, switches, and track components globally. Directly comparable to Riecken as a rail turnout and switch component specialist with European transit operator customers.
• Amurrio Ferrocarril y Equipos: Spanish manufacturer of railway equipment including turnouts, crossings, and special track components. Comparable niche European rail component specialist serving municipal and mainline operators.
• BWG (Vossloh Switch Systems): German turnout and switch manufacturer now operating within Vossloh, producing complete switch assemblies and components. Directly comparable to Riecken in product range and European transit customer base.
• Vossloh AG: Germany-based rail infrastructure group with a core Switch Systems division producing rail turnouts, crossings, and point-setting mechanisms. Vossloh is the most direct European competitor to Riecken in switch and point hardware for mainline and light rail.

Others

• Speno International: Swiss-based rail maintenance services and grinding machine specialist. Adjacent in the rail MOW ecosystem rather than a direct switch-component competitor, but shares the European infrastructure-customer base.
• Harsco Rail (Enviri): Global supplier of track maintenance equipment, switches, and railway infrastructure products. Broader and more diversified than Riecken but with overlapping product categories in rail switches and track components.
• Robel Bahnbaumaschinen: German manufacturer of track maintenance and construction equipment for rail networks. Operates in an adjacent niche (machinery vs components) but serves many of the same European DB and municipal transit customers.
• Plasser & Theurer: Austrian manufacturer of track maintenance machinery (tamping, grinding, renewal). Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but shares the European rail MOW customer ecosystem with Riecken.

Broad incumbents

• Pandrol: Global rail fastening and infrastructure systems supplier with a much broader product portfolio than Riecken. Overlaps with Riecken in supplying rail infrastructure components to transit operators but serves a wider scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/riecken

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 →

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