HUNGARY: Minister of National Development & Economy István Varga attended the topping-out ceremony for Knorr-Bremse's expanded rail brake factory in Budapest on May 26. Construction of the building began in March, and production is due to start in spring next year.

Replacing an existing plant nearby, the 30 000 m² facility will increase Knorr-Bremse's bogie, braking and air supply equipment manufacturing capacity. It will have around 800 staff, expanded facilities for research and development, and will enable the Budapest plant to adopt the company's globally standardised production and logistics concept, which is expected to improve delivery times significantly.

Knorr-Bremse has been active in Hungary since the 1920s. The railway brake plant was established in Budapest in 1995, while the commercial vehicles business has a production plant in Kecskemét and a research centre in the capital.