TRAKO 2025 — Insights from Gdansk

European stage in Gdańsk

Die TRAKO is one of Europe's leading rail trade fairs and is considered the most important meeting place in Central and Eastern Europe. There, manufacturers, operators and suppliers present innovations, discuss projects and expand contacts. For SBF, the 2025 trade fair was a special occasion: In addition to presenting its own solutions, it offered an in-depth look at the Polish market for the first time — combined with numerous new impressions and discussions.

Products in focus

At the joint stand, SBF presented four focal areas from its portfolio, which cover various aspects of vehicle interiors:

• outdoor lights and interior lighting — Systems that ensure safety while driving and at the same time provide functional and convenient illumination of the interior.
• Ceiling systems and luggage racks — modular designs that can be adapted to different vehicle concepts. The focus is on flexibility: from development to implementation, solutions can be designed to meet specific customer requirements and solve individual challenges.
• air conditioning ducts — Components for uniform and energy-efficient air flow, adapted to the respective conditions.
• Special: Interior fiber optic cable — ultra-compact solutions for homogeneous light patterns with minimal installation space, which open up new design options.

The selection made it clear that SBF not only provides individual components, but also develops solutions in which different components can be combined — with the aim of making the vehicle interior efficient, flexible and customer-oriented.

Technical discussions and collaborations

A highlight was the German-Polish AHK evening at Olivia Star. Representatives from business and industry met there to discuss current developments and deepen contacts. For SBF, there were important starting points for future projects.

Valuable discussions were also held at the stands of existing and potential new customers — including NEWAG, one of the leading vehicle manufacturers in Poland. The focus was on possible areas of application of SBF solutions and joint project approaches.

Participation in the joint stand

The presence at TRAKO was supported by Saxony Economic Development GmbH enables. As part of the Saxon joint stand, SBF was able to seek international dialogue and increase visibility in the Eastern European market. Thanks go out to the entire business development team, which made this appearance possible.

Impressions from Poland

For SBF, the trade fair was a standpoint with many positive impressions. Numerous visitors were interested in modular systems that bundle various functions — for example, the integration of components such as WLAN routers, loudspeakers or surveillance cameras into ceiling systems. Luggage storage also focused on flexibility and adaptability, for example in terms of construction, materials and lighting. At the same time, it became apparent that energy-efficient solutions — particularly in lighting technology and air conditioning — are playing an increasingly important role in many projects.

This feedback shows that the requirements in Polish rail transport meet international developments in many respects and at the same time open up new opportunities for cooperation.

View: Palermo and Prague

After TRAKO, the focus is on the next industry meetings:

• Railway Interior Summit — Palermo (28-30 October 2025)
  The RedCabin Summit is dedicated to automotive interior trends, including sustainable materials, lighting, comfort and design solutions. The venue is O.ME.R. Carini/OMER S.p.A. in Palermo, Italy.
• Rail Interiors Show — Prague (24-25 November 2025)
  The exhibition focuses on interior solutions for rail vehicles. The O2 universe in Prague presents innovations in seating, lighting, passenger comfort and safety.

Both events offer SBF the opportunity to continue the topics addressed in Gdansk in international exchange and at the same time to gain new impetus. An overview of all upcoming trade fair dates can be found on our events page.
To the events

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Conclusion: Findings from Danzig

TRAKO 2025 provided SBF with a valuable platform to show products, make new contacts and gain insights into Polish rail transport. The presence at the joint stand was an important step towards better understanding markets and gaining impetus for further development. With the upcoming appointments in Palermo and Prague, this dialogue is now being continued at European level.