In the quiet village of Bussnang, in north-eastern Switzerland, it is impossible to miss the headquarters of Stadler, one of the fastest-growing participants in Europe’s railway rolling stock market.

The Bussnang factory, set up in 1962 when the company moved from Zürich, crowds all round the station, dominates the village and remains much the most important of Stadler’s six facilities. Inside, the factory is packed with products being assembled for customers all over Europe – from regional trains heading for Hungary to rack railway carriages destined to climb a mountain in Greece.