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Consulting · Brokerage · Trade media

Services for railways and mobility – since the 1980s.

In January 1989, together with Polish State Railways (PKP), we founded the railway repair and trading company INTERLOK GmbH in Piła, formerly the German town of Schneidemühl.

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INTERLOK GmbH founded together with PKP
1989
INTERLOK GmbH founded together with PKP
B2B trade journals as publisher
2
B2B trade journals as publisher
working languages, from Polish to French
6
working languages, from Polish to French
Hermann Schmidtendorf in front of modern multiple units

Piła · Berlin

Hermann Schmidtendorf

e-paper

Our trade journals – read every issue free of charge

All issues

1989 – today

Our history

More from over 20 years in the archive

It was the only public-private limited company in the Polish railway sector before the political changes in Eastern Europe. The initiative to found the company came from PKP: through a joint venture with a West German partner holding a stake of just under 50%, the Polish State Railways wanted to become more independent of the state trade restrictions in force at the time.

Our activities focused on repairs and trading in the field of steam locomotives and heritage and tourist railway equipment. PKP later withdrew in favour of further private shareholders. Our language skills – studies in Russian, Polish and Czech, fluent English and French – proved very useful.

But as soon as our activities became known in the industry, we received more and more enquiries beyond the heritage sector: repair, modernisation, brokerage and trading of diesel locomotives, diesel multiple units, freight wagons, passenger coaches, good-quality used rails and points, spare parts, consulting, specialist translations, involvement in film projects …

This is how we built up a network of fellow railway engineers and repair and trading partners in various countries. Because our motto is:

Every enquiry is examined and, wherever possible, brought to a positive conclusion. Saying no is only ever the last resort!

Video

Worth more than a thousand words

Welding work on a steam locomotive boiler in the workshop
2017

Our work with steam locomotives

Hermann Schmidtendorf in front of an ARRIVA diesel railcar
2010

Our work with diesel multiple units for ARRIVA

Consulting

Consulting for railway companies

Advice, negotiations and brokerage – backed by a network of railway engineers and repair and trading partners across Europe.

What we offer

  • 01

    Advice, negotiations and brokerage for used and new rolling stock, modernisation, maintenance and repair

  • 02

    Sourcing of spare parts

  • 03

    Valuation reports for used vehicles

  • 04

    Specialist translation and interpreting

  • 05

    Special transport

  • 06

    Putting you in touch with experts on specialist topics

  • 07

    Production of corporate videos and publications for mobility companies

References

Examples of our work

  1. 1999 – 2004

    Prignitzer Eisenbahn, Putlitz

    Supply of a series of diesel locomotives and freight wagons that were repaired and given their main inspection (Hauptuntersuchung) in Poland under our supervision in accordance with German regulations (Section 32 EBO).

  2. 2004 – 2006

    Rebuilding the railway in Corsica

    Supply of all the diesel locomotives, freight and ballast wagons required, plus two engineering-train coaches, for the reconstruction of the state-owned railway lines – in cooperation with Romanian and French partners. All locomotives were re-engined and modernised, including multiple-unit control; the wagons underwent comprehensive modernisation and conversion.

  3. 2006 – 2010

    ARRIVA: launching regional rail services in Poland

    As assistant to the Executive Technical Support Europe of the British transport group ARRIVA: coordinating the launch of regional rail services in Poland, repair of German-Danish vehicles and their approval by the Polish rail authority UTK in Warsaw, training of Polish staff, setting up spare-parts logistics, interpreting and translating draft contracts, VAT matters and invoice controlling, member of two tender committees.

  4. Further assignments

    Transit agreements, conversions & approvals

    Negotiating transit agreements with PKP PLK for rail traffic in the German–Polish–Czech border triangle, converting German vehicles for operation in Poland, obtaining the necessary documents from the French railway safety authority, negotiations with the Polish, Czech and German railway authorities.

Cover: By train through a Caribbean paradise

An example of our current work

Diesel locomotives from Poland via Germany to the Caribbean

Read the article (PDF)
Reference from the WELT group for Hermann Schmidtendorf

An example of our journalistic work

Reference from the daily newspaper ‘Die Welt’

Open the reference (PDF)

Currently available · as of 09/2026

Used vehicles & components

Details & further information

Our trade journals

CARGO FREIGHT JOURNAL and rail & mobility

For decades, journalism has been our second mainstay. We have worked continuously as a print and broadcast journalist for publications including the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, Münstersche Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, DIE WELT, ŻYCIE (Warsaw) and Deutschlandfunk, and we also produce films. In 2016 we were invited to join the B2B trade journal bahn manager (rail manager), where we served as editor-in-chief until 2021.

Since 2022 we have been editor-in-chief and publisher of the B2B trade journals CARGO FREIGHT JOURNAL (CFJ) and rail & mobility (r&m). Topics such as infrastructure, energy, digitalisation and workshops are an integral part of both journals – along with many interviews with leading figures in the mobility industry and our ‘Europe Portrait’ series, in which we present the railways of different countries.

We invite you to send us information about your activities, give us interviews, invite us to your events and place advertisements!

Contact the editorial team
View the complete e-paper archive of both journals

News

News from our consulting work, the editorial office and our network.

All news

Contact

Get in touch

Vehicle search, valuation, translation, interview or advertisement – every enquiry is examined and, wherever possible, brought to a positive conclusion.