Rolling Stock Design
Concept to detailed design of locomotives, coaches and wagons — bodyshell and structural design, bogie configuration, interiors and systems integration, supported by CAD and finite-element analysis.
Railway & Vehicle Engineering
Where transport meets energy
Entra Engineering is a specialist railway and vehicle engineering consultancy — designing rolling stock from first principles, simulating it in the cloud, and advising on the corridors, fleets and decarbonisation strategies that move heavy transport forward.
110+
Cumulative years of railway engineering experience
14+
Engineers across mechanical, electrical, electronic & software
10+
Rolling-stock and rail projects delivered & underway
Who we are
One team for the full life of a rail vehicle.
Multidisciplinary rail engineering — rolling stock and components designed, tested and homologated under one team.
We were founded on a simple idea: that the greatest opportunities in heavy transport lie at the intersection of the transport and energy sectors.
Entra Engineering is a specialist railway and vehicle engineering consultancy operating from South Africa and serving clients internationally. Our work helps rail operators, rolling-stock owners and infrastructure developers modernise their assets, decarbonise their fleets, and plan new corridors with confidence.
We combine deep, hands-on locomotive and wagon design experience with advanced simulation, electrical and electronic engineering, and a pragmatic, commercially-aware approach to consulting — from a single component to a full corridor study, with the same rigour throughout.
Transport × Energy
Finding the balance and synergies between energy and transport — technically, commercially and operationally — is the thread that runs through everything we do.
Our capabilities
Across the full lifecycle of rail vehicles and rail systems.
From concept and feasibility, through detailed design and simulation, to procurement, testing, commissioning and in-service fleet support.
Engineering
Rail Component Engineering
Design and engineering of sub-systems and components — couplers and drawgear, brake systems, suspension, traction-equipment integration — engineered for the load and duty cycle of the application.
Electrical & Mechanical Consulting
Multidisciplinary consulting across traction and auxiliary power, control and protection, HVAC and mechanical systems — from feasibility studies and specifications to design review and failure investigation.
Testing & Commissioning
Static and dynamic testing, type tests, on-track validation and commissioning support — turning design intent into measured, evidenced performance and resolving issues before a vehicle enters service.
Homologation & Regulatory Approval
Type approval and safety-case work aligned to the Railway Safety Regulator and applicable standards — compiling the compliance evidence, documentation and certification that authorises a vehicle for service.
Need something specific?
Scoped to your project.
The five engineering services take a vehicle from concept to service — and extend into the planning, business-case and lifecycle work that decides what to build, where it runs, and what it costs to keep running.
Planning & Strategy
Railway Strategic Planning
Long-range network and fleet strategy that aligns rail investment with operational and policy goals.
Service & Operational Design
Service patterns, timetabling and operating concepts that define how the railway will run.
Route Alignment Planning
Horizontal and vertical alignment studies for new lines and upgrades to existing ones.
Maintenance Facility Functional Design
Functional design and specification of depots and workshops for rail and rolling stock.
Business Case & Advisory
Rail Facility Business Cases
Investment cases for depots, workshops and the supporting infrastructure they need.
Siding & New-Line Investment
Business cases for new sidings, branch lines and network extensions.
Rolling Stock Development & Deployment
Cases for acquiring, developing and deploying rolling stock fleets across a network.
Maintenance & Procurement
Maintenance Planning & Scheduling
Maintenance regimes, intervals and schedules set across the full asset lifecycle.
Maintenance Costing
Whole-life and activity-based cost models that show what keeping assets running really costs.
Strategic Procurement Planning & Scheduling
Procurement strategy and scheduling for fleets, components and engineering services.
Tools & platforms
A leading simulation suite, deployed in the cloud.
Through our own licences and partnerships we run engineering and simulation software on cloud infrastructure — for speed, parallel processing and remote collaboration, with clients given live access to results.
Onshape— Enterprise CAD
SimScale— Cloud multi-physics
Project experience
Representative work across rolling stock, advisory and new corridors.
Spanning locomotive repowering and decarbonisation, fleet due diligence and procurement, and freight-corridor feasibility and development.
Rolling Stock
- Locomotive upgrade & repowering with dual-fuel engine
- Locomotive upgrade with regenerative energy recuperation
- Locomotive underframe design for battery locomotive
- Tender wagon specification & design management
Advisory
- Technical due diligence & advisory — 10 locomotives, 147 wagons
- Technical due diligence & advisory — 13 locomotives (international)
Procurement
- Locomotive fleet procurement, upgrade & delivery management
- Wagon fleet procurement, upgrade & delivery management
Infrastructure & Logistics
- Train freight service development — Namibia
- New railway development & demand modelling — Namibia
Why Entra
Engineering judgement you can act on.
End-To-End Rail Expertise
From a single bracket to a full corridor study, we cover concept, design, simulation, procurement, testing and fleet support under one roof.
Transport Meets Energy
Specialist capability in decarbonisation — dual-fuel, hydrogen and battery rolling stock — where most consultancies have to subcontract.
Cloud-Native Delivery
Web-based CAD and simulation give clients live access to designs and results, with faster turnaround and parallel processing.
Honest, Structured Advice
We quantify uncertainty, set out clear frameworks, and give clients deliverables they can act on with confidence.
Leadership team
Professional engineers with decades of combined experience.
Led by a team with deep, hands-on experience in locomotive and wagon design, simulation, electrical systems and project delivery.
Our core leadership is supported by a full-time team of mechanical, electrical, electronic and software engineers, part-time specialists, and a standing network of retired railway engineers who contribute deep institutional knowledge to our projects.
Konrad Boshoff
Managing Director
Mechanical Engineer · Pr. Eng · M.Eng · GCC · CEM · CEA · REP
Locomotive design and development, wagon specification and weight distribution, design management; CAE in SimScale, Ansys and Onshape.
Wynand Malan
Operations Director
Mechanical Engineer · MBA
Design management of complex road and rail vehicle projects; CAE in Ansys, MSC and Onshape.
Niël Burger
Director
Electrical & Electronic Engineer
Locomotive electrical systems design and testing; large power-electronics systems testing.
Pieter Hugo
Lead Engineer: Mechanical & Simulation
Mechanical Engineer · Pr. Eng
Wagon, lightweight frame and bogie design; simulation across SimScale, Onshape, Ansys, MSC and NX.
Gideon Retief
Lead Engineer: Electrical
Electrical Engineer · Pr. Eng · M.Eng
Electrical systems design and integration; schematics, wiring and component selection for rail vehicles.
Jonathan Gevers
Lead Engineer: Software
Electronic Engineer
Embedded software and control systems for vehicle monitoring, instrumentation and on-board systems.
Marnus Marais
Lead Engineer: Devices & Platforms
Electrical & Electronic Engineer
Telematics, on-board devices and data platforms; digitisation and end-to-end data handling for connected vehicles and assets.
Contact us
Bring us the brief.
Whether it is a full vehicle programme or a single component, tell us where you are in the lifecycle and we will tell you how we would take it forward.
Office342 The Rand Street
Lynnwood
Pretoria
0081
South Africa · Operating Internationally
Lynnwood
Pretoria
0081
South Africa · Operating Internationally
Emailinfo@entra.co.za
EntityEntra Engineering (Pty) Ltd · Reg No. 2022/205142/07