advertisement

---

• Bombardier Transportation and joint venture partner Downer EDI Rail obtained a $131 million order from the Queensland government in Australia to build 20 three-car electric commuter trains. Deliveries are scheduled to start in August 2010 and conclude in December 2011. The order is a follow on to a contract for SMU260 vehicles now entering service with Queensland Rail. Bombardier will be responsible for vehicle and bogie design, the integration of vehicle systems, and supply of propulsion, electrical and communication systems. The stainless-steel trains will operate at speeds up to 81 mph.

• SKF won a $17.6 million order from the Chinese Ministry of Railways and CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co. Ltd. to provide axle boxes and drive system bearings for 500 mainline electric locomotives. SKF supplies various products and provides services for rail vehicles, including high-speed and mass transit vehicles, locomotives, multiple units, coaches and freight cars.

• HNTB Corp. has appointed Peter Gertler chairman of the engineering’s firm’s new high-speed rail practice. Since joining the firm in 2004, he has served as project manager for the California high-speed rail project’s Los Angeles-to-San Diego segment and technical advisor for the San Jose-to-San Francisco segment. Gerlter has more than 20 years of experience in national and international public transportation and program management, including a stint as senior manager for Bay Area Rapid Transit. HNTB also named Elizabeth Rao national public transit services chair. She most recently was assistant general manager in the Regional Transportation District of Denver’s planning and development department.

• ShipXpress Inc. has appointed John Ficker senior vice president of sales and marketing. He previously was president and chief executive officer of the National Industrial Transportation League, and president of the American Society of Transportation and Logistics. Ficker also spent 20 years as a senior transportation executive for several companies, including Weyerhaeuser Co., and 13 years in railroad marketing and sales. ShipXpress provides Web-based software and services to railroads, rail shippers and rail-car owners.

• Nexxus Lighting Inc.’s Lumificient Corp. business unit is supplying LED lighting systems for the Dubai Metro project in the United Arab Emirates. To launch operations in September, the 43-mile Dubai Metro — which will be the longest fully automated rail system in the world when completed — will feature 47 stations, Nexxus Lighting said. The Japan Turkey Metro Joint Venture between Obayashi Corp., Kajima Corp. and Yapi Merkezi Turkey is constructing the $4.2 billion project, which will include Lumificient’s Hyperion R-Lite monochromatic LED strip lighting system.