History

Since its foundation in 1987, Enotrac has developed steadily and achieved numerous milestones. The following timeline provides a detailed insight into our eventful and successful company history.

A look back in time

  • 1987
    1987 Foundation of Enotrac
  • 1987
    1987
    Foundation of Enotrac

    Enotrac AG was founded in 1987 by Heinz Voegeli and Dieter Würgler. The core competence of the young company was in rail vehicle engineering.

    The founders of Enotrac, Heinz Voegeli and Dieter Würgler, in the early days of the company.

    The founders of Enotrac, Heinz Voegeli and Dieter Würgler, in the early days of the company.

  • 1991
    1991
    Development of Fabel

    However, the founders soon realised that the potential of the company was far greater than just vehicle design: as early as 1991, they expanded their services to include IT development as well as simulation and calculation tools for traction current systems, which were successfully used to model the Zurich S-Bahn (Fabel).

    The simulation tool Fabel in use since 1991

    The simulation tool Fabel in use since 1991

  • 1992
    1992
    Foundation Enotrac UK Ltd.

    By this point, the first step abroad had already been taken. The foundation of the English subsidiary Enotrac UK Ltd. in Sutton near London in 1992 was the start of Enotrac’s international expansion. In addition to Switzerland and the United Kingdom, the company expanded its activities to the rest of Europe, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, China and South America. The Enotrac experts were able to share their expertise outside of Switzerland in major international projects such as the construction of the Eurotunnel. This decisively expanded the company’s range of activities and influence internationally.

    The office of Enotrac UK Ltd.

    The office of Enotrac UK Ltd.

  • 1993
    1993
    First use of Fabel

    The success of the company’s first projects and self-developed tools opened the doors to international projects for the engineers. One of the first was the proof of signalling compatibility for the Tube Stock railcar of the London Underground Central Line in 1993.

  • 1999
    1999
    ZEDEAS, TRACTIVITY and VIPSCARSIS

    In 1999, a close collaboration began with the company PC-Soft, out of which emerged VIPSCARSIS, the successor product to TRACTIVITY.

  • 2006
    2006
    Foundation SCONRAIL AG

    In 2006, Enotrac founded the conformity assessment body SCONRAIL AG. together with the companies PROSE AG u and TÜV InterTraffic GmbH

    SCONRAIL the company for conformity assessment of PROSE AG and Enotrac AG

    SCONRAIL the company for conformity assessment of PROSE AG and Enotrac AG

  • 2008
    2008
    New office in Thun

    2008 Enotrac moved into larger premises in Thun, right next to the railway station. The projects kept getting bigger: involvement in the NRLA project of the century marked another milestone for the company.

    The Enotrac Headquater in Switzerland

    The Enotrac Headquater in Switzerland

  • 2015
    2015
    4th place in the SVC company award

    Over the years, it became clear that the path taken had led to success: in 2015 Enotrac was able to hold its own in 4th place among the six finalists for the SVC Enterprise Award of the Swiss Venture Club (SVC) business network. Over 50,000 companies are eligible for this multi-stage selection process in the Mittelland region alone.

  • 2017
    2017
    Generational change

    2017 marked the start of a new generation. The two founders handed over control and their shares in the company to a new management team. However, Heinz Voegeli and Dieter Würgler remained with Enotrac as senior engineers and project managers until their retirement.

    Board Members of 2017 bis 2023

    Board Members of 2017 bis 2023

  • 2017
    2017
    Foundation Office in Lausanne

    The transition was seamless and the company’s success story continued. In the same year, an additional office was opened in Lausanne. And the company’s area of expertise was also expanded.

    The view from our office in Lausanne

    The view from our office in Lausanne

  • 2019
    2019
    Expansion in catenary planning

    In 2019, Enotrac expanded its services to include catenary design.

    Catenary planning at Thun station

    Catenary planning at Thun station

  • 2023
    2023
    Growth to 70 employees

    Following those years, Enotrac experienced significant grow, enhanced its public image, and engaged in prestigious international projects. By January 2024, the team expanded to approximately 70 employees, a milestone for the group.. The increase in staff led to organisational changes: the creation of theme-focused teams and the addition of a new management tier, which further aligned the company with market demands. In line with these changes,  the role of Head of Finance and Human Resources was elevated to join the Executive Board.

    Our Enotrac Team

    Our Enotrac Team

  • 2023
    2023
    Foundation Office in Winterthur

    To enhance its presence in Zurich and eastern Switzerland, Enotrac opened a new office in Winterthur in August 2023.

    Our Enotrac office in Winterthur

    Our Enotrac office in Winterthur

  • 2024
    2024
    New digitalisation division and expansion of the management team

    Enotrac launched a new business area with the digitisation division, which strengthens the existing activities in cyber security and control and signalling technology. The management team was expanded in this context.

    The management team 2024: (from left) Michael Dalacker, René Schär, Andreas Bleiker, Jens Schulze, Stefan Nydegger, Stephan Güpfert, Daniel Grossniklaus

    The management team 2024: (from left) Michael Dalacker, René Schär, Andreas Bleiker, Jens Schulze, Stefan Nydegger, Stephan Güpfert, Daniel Grossniklaus

Since its foundation, Enotrac has established itself as a reliable company in the market. Great importance has always been placed on the highest quality and technical excellence in the solutions developed. Railways will continue to play an important role in mobility in the future, and development of the railway system requires not only experience, but knowledge of state-of-the-art technolgies. Participation in follow-up projects of the Swiss railway industry’s SmartRail 4.0 innovation programme to increase safety and capacity is an important step in this regard. What will never change, however, is our employees’ enthusiasm for the railway system.

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