At TRANSEXPO 2026 in Kielce, the newest Solaris and Autosan models shared the spotlight with specialist Polish minibus builders, a 1938 Chevrolet, an award-winning vehicle conversion and some of the country’s most skilled bus drivers. From 14 to 16 October, the fair offered a broader picture of public transport than vehicle premieres alone: how buses are built, equipped, maintained and driven.
19 October 2026 | European Bus Glass Journal | Event report
Lead photograph: TRANSEXPO 2026, supplied by Szyby Autobusowe BIS.
TRANSEXPO 2026 in numbers
The 18th TRANSEXPO International Fair of Public Transport ran from 14 to 16 October 2026 at Expo Kielce, Poland. In its 13 October pre-event statement, organiser Targi Kielce reported 129 exhibitors, 75 vehicles representing 15 bus brands and 10,333 m² of exhibition space. These are organiser-supplied exhibition figures, not an independently audited final visitor count. A post-show account published on 16 October documented vehicles from Solaris, MAN and NEOPLAN, Autosan, IVECO, Irizar, Karsan, BMC, SOR and other manufacturers.
Autosan SANVIA: passenger transport and emergency evacuation
One of the most distinctive premieres was the Autosan SANVIA 12NF D, a 12-metre dual-purpose intercity bus developed by HSW’s Autosan operation with Scania Polska, on a Scania chassis manufactured in Słupsk. According to Autosan’s 12 October announcement, the prototype is intended for ordinary passenger transport and for emergency evacuation. It has 51 seats in its standard arrangement, while the manufacturer says conversion to a medical-evacuation configuration can take approximately 30 minutes. Autosan explicitly states that the vehicle remains in testing and homologation.
A post-show review by Polish transport publication PSMKMS also describes a removable front-body panel, drawing a comparison with the historic Autosan H9.
Manufacturers across city, regional and touring segments
MAN and NEOPLAN’s exhibition covered city, regional and touring applications. The organiser recorded the handover of a MAN Lion’s City 18 EfficientHybrid to Relobus Transport Polska during the show; the post-event vehicle review also identifies the MAN Lion’s City 10 E, Lion’s City 12 C LE, MAN Lion’s Coach L, MAN TGE City and NEOPLAN Tourliner L VIP. IVECO’s Crossway family was represented by electric and diesel regional variants, while Irizar displayed both an urban electric bus and a premium touring coach.
Solaris presented the Urbino 10.5 electric in Poland for the first time alongside its new-generation Urbino 12 hydrogen. The compact electric bus received a TRANSEXPO medal. Read our separate report on both models.
Beyond the major brands: Poland’s specialist bus builders
The big manufacturers were only part of TRANSEXPO’s story. Poland’s specialist bodybuilders and minibus converters serve operators whose needs are not always covered by a standard production-line bus: regional and local services, school transport, small tourist groups, accessible vehicles and customised layouts. The TransInfo exhibition overview also identified Mercus, Polster, Automet, ABP Bus & Coach, Bus-Center and ProAuto-Bus among the sector’s participants.
ŻAK PRODUCER — vehicles tailored to the operator
ŻAK PRODUCER, based in Augustów, was listed by TRANSEXPO’s official exhibitor directory in the coach and touring bus sector. The company builds passenger vehicles and offers adapted layouts for different transport duties. The manufacturer’s published range includes city-focused Mercedes-Benz Sprinter conversions and intercity Iveco-based vehicles, as well as adaptations for passengers with reduced mobility.
Bus-Center — a wide range of Sprinter and Daily conversions
Bus-Center of Strawczyn, near Kielce, is another confirmed exhibitor. The company says it has produced minibuses since 2003, building on Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Iveco Daily chassis. Its catalogue covers tourist, VIP, local-route, urban, school and accessible transport. Its catalogue lists Sprinter configurations ranging from 9 to 24 places and an Iveco Daily urban version with a lowered rear section.
There was also a concrete award for the conversion sector. A MAN–Mercus TGE City LF won the mini category of Polish Bus of the Year 2026, showing that the competition was not confined to standard 12-metre city buses. The TransInfo awards report also covered the industry’s individual Bus Guru distinctions.
Aftermarket companies were part of the exhibition too
Vehicle manufacturers shared the event with suppliers of components, equipment and technical services. The organiser’s official exhibitor directory lists Szyby Autobusowe BIS, based in Kryspinów, in the bus components and equipment category. The Polish company specialises in bus and coach glass supply and replacement.
Editorial disclosure: Szyby Autobusowe BIS has a business connection with the publisher of European Bus Glass Journal. Its participation is reported on the same factual basis as that of other exhibitors.
What the awards actually recognised
According to the organiser’s official 14 October gala results, three medals in the Buses category went to the NEOPLAN Tourliner VIP (MAN Truck & Bus Polska), Solaris Urbino 10.5 electric and Autosan SANVIA 12NF D. The new-generation Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen received a distinction.
Beyond the vehicles, MEDCOM received a medal for its silicon-carbide-based universal trolleybus drive system. Autonomous Systems’ SmartDEPOT and a G-Detect gas-detection system presented by Systemy Autobusowe received distinctions in the bus-parts-and-equipment category. Passenger-service and ticketing recognition included PIXEL Aura, while DRABPOL’s STREAMAX P3D was distinguished in the passenger-service-systems category.
The separate Polish Bus of the Year 2026 awards went to the MAN-Mercus TGE City LF (mini), Solaris Urbino 18 hydrogen (city), IVECO Crossway 12 LE Elec (intercity) and Setra TopClass S 516 HDH (touring). These awards should not be confused with the TRANSEXPO exhibition medals.
Depot technology, passenger systems and workshop equipment
The organiser presented an Autonomous Systems BB-1 smartbus demonstration of depot manoeuvring. The associated SmartDEPOT concept is aimed at automated movements within depot premises, not passenger operation on public roads. Such systems may change depot workflows, including vehicle positioning and turnaround.
PIXEL also presented Aura, a ticketing and passenger-interaction system which, according to the organiser, includes biometric functionality.
Access-equipment specialist Faraone promoted maintenance platforms, roof-access products and virtual-reality demonstrations at the exhibition.
Warsaw’s Solaris contract: diesel fleets remain in the picture
Another concrete outcome of the show was the 14 October signing of an option for 50 additional Solaris Urbino 18 diesel buses for Warsaw. Solaris says this extends a 120-bus order to 170 vehicles in the same specification, with a possible further option. This is an important counterpoint to the fair’s zero-emission headlines: European maintenance networks must continue supporting conventional, hybrid, electric and hydrogen fleets in parallel.
Nearly nine decades of bus history on one exhibition floor
The 6th Exhibition of Historic Buses, organised by the Polish Chamber of Urban Transport (IGKM), gave visitors a different reason to stop and look. Alongside the newest electric and hydrogen models were a 1938 Chevrolet EFD 183 FS, a SAN H100B, Jelcz M11 and PR110U buses, and a rare Ikarus 411, one of the early fully low-floor designs. The exhibition traced changes in vehicle construction and everyday passenger travel rather than another product launch.
Some of the vehicles had remarkable second lives: according to the organiser, the 1973 SAN H100B spent years as a garden summerhouse after withdrawal from service, while a Scania CR111M served as a mobile cinema in Sweden. Both later returned to public display after restoration. Read the organiser’s report on the historic exhibition.
And on the final day, the drivers had their own competition
TRANSEXPO’s third day, 16 October, also hosted the final of the Polish Professional Bus Drivers’ Championship. Eighteen finalists, including four women, tackled nine precision-driving challenges, among them reversing, docking and careful manoeuvring around obstacles. The tests rewarded control of a large vehicle rather than speed.
Mateusz Tuzinowski won the 2026 title. Targi Kielce reported that he had been working professionally as a bus driver for only three months — a striking human story amid the technical specifications and trade-fair presentations. Source: official championship results, 16 October 2026.
What TRANSEXPO 2026 told us about the bus industry
New propulsion technologies dominated many headlines, but the exhibition told a wider story. A bus market that includes a 10.5-metre electric Solaris also needs accessible minibuses, custom-built regional vehicles, component suppliers and workshops capable of supporting mixed fleets. Poland’s bodybuilders occupy a substantial part of that picture, not merely a footnote to the global brands.
Historic buses showed what a long working life — and patient restoration — can mean. The drivers’ final reminded visitors that safety and passenger experience still depend on the people behind the wheel. Together, these are as much a part of the industry as the newest specification sheet.
Sources
- Targi Kielce, 13 October 2026 — organiser’s exhibition figures and pre-show technical conference.
- Targi Kielce, 14 October 2026 — official medals, distinctions and Polish Bus of the Year results.
- Targi Kielce, 14 October 2026 — first-day report, MAN handover and PIXEL Aura.
- Autosan, 12 October 2026 — manufacturer’s SANVIA prototype statement and homologation status.
- PSMKMS, 16 October 2026 — independent post-show vehicle survey, including the reported SANVIA front-wall panel.
- Solaris, 15 October 2026 — manufacturer confirmation of the Urbino 10.5 electric medal.
- Solaris, 14 October 2026 — Warsaw’s additional 50-bus contract option.
- Autonomous Systems exhibitor profile — SmartDEPOT’s intended depot application.
- Faraone, October 2026 — pre-show workshop-access equipment presentation.
- TRANSEXPO official exhibitor directory — ŻAK PRODUCER; company product range.
- TRANSEXPO official exhibitor directory — Bus-Center (company description and vehicle categories).
- TRANSEXPO official exhibitor directory — Szyby Autobusowe BIS.
- TransInfo — 2026 exhibitors and vehicles overview.
- TransInfo — Polish Bus of the Year and Bus Guru 2026 awards.
- Targi Kielce — Sixth Historic Bus Exhibition (14 October 2026).
- Targi Kielce — Polish Professional Bus Drivers’ Championship results (16 October 2026).
