WALBO Group companies in insolvency

The companies of the Ostrava-based WALBO group of entrepreneur Pavel Borský are in insolvency. From January to March 2024, insolvency proceedings were opened successively with the companies WALBO RAILWAY, WALBO ENGINEERING, WALBO WAGONS and WALBO AUTOMATION.

In the railway industry, they were first active mainly in the production of axles and wheelsets (WALBO RAILWAY at Karviná), then the group entered the production of freight wagons (WALBO WAGONS), including its own development. This was made possible thanks to some of the former employees of the former Legios Loco wagon factory in Louny, who dispersed to various other companies after its liquidation, which occurred as a result of the destructive events caused by the "battle of the big players" that culminated in 2019.

WALBO WAGONS managed to carry out the development and production of prototypes of a non-articulated 80ft wagon and 90ft wagon - one wagon of each type was exhibited at InnoTrans 2022. Two prototypes each were produced, of which only one of the 80-foot wagon probably exists in complete form today, stored at the VUZ Velim test centre.

As can be seen from the publicly available insolvency petition, WALBO WAGONS is also several months in arrears with payments to its former employees. In principle, the financial difficulties into which the group began to run in 2022 are somewhat unclear, since orders for the wagons were obtained (when batch production of the wheelsets had been under way for longer) and advance payments were made for the bulk of the orders, both for the wagons and the wheelsets. For example, Ambrogio confirmed the award of a contract for fifty 90ft wagons with an option for more, including payment of an advance.

However, the decision to batch-built wagons was subsequently accompanied by a chaotic, almost desperate search for suitable production sites (including completely pointless buildings). The prototypes were produced on the premises of ČKD Kutná Hora, where the WALBO group rented production facilities to start its wagon manufacturing activities. Subsequently, it was decided to locate batch production of wagons including bogies to Lom u Tábora (not connected to the railway network), where WALBO ENGINEERING took over the existing premises, which no longer served its purpose. Final assembly was then to take place in a newly established production plant in the Ostrava region.

The companies of the WALBO group are not active now, but last year the company Krybo forgings s. r. o. was registered in the Commercial Register, the ownership of which is registered in the name of Pavel Borský's mother.