Rail supplier news from Bombardier, Bihrle, ARI, Holland and Harting (Feb. 26)

French national rail operator SNCF has placed a $120 million order for nine Regio 2N trainsets from Bombardier Transportation. The units will be rolled out on the SNCF Transilien network in the Ile-de-France region. The Regio 2N units feature level accessibility at all stations, air conditioning, power outlets to charge mobile devices and dynamic travel information. The order stems from an option in a 2010 contract for a maximum of 860 trains.

Bihrle Applied Research Inc. and BNSF Railway Co. recently used RailVision™computer vision technology to process terabytes of images captured during drone operations. RailVision enables BNSF to automatically process tens of thousands of images collected by drones during supplemental railway inspection flights. The platform also generates actionable reports in less time than traditional inspection methods, Bihrle officials said in a press release.

American Railcar Industries Inc. (ARI) reported 2017 revenue of $476.8 million, down from $639.1 million in 2016. The company's 2017 net income rose to $142.2 million, or $7.45 per share, compared with $72.7 million, or $3.74 per share, in 2016. The earnings increase includes a $107.3 million tax benefit from the  Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Also last year, ARI shipped 2,418 rail cars for direct sale and 1,874 rail cars for lease, marking a decrease from 2016, when the company shipped 3,922 rail cars for direct sale and 914 units for lease. Rail cars built for the lease fleet represented 44 percent of ARI's rail-car shipments in 2017 versus 19 percent in the prior year, ARI officials said in a press release.

Holland LP's Railway Measurement Systems and Services (RMSS) business unit earlier this month logged its fifth consecutive year with no recordable injuries. The achievement demonstrates the company's commitment to building a safety culture, Holland officials said in a press release. The company's safety goal for 2020 is to achieve zero injuries across all its business units. Holland's RMSS unit provides technologies and services for track geometry and rail profile measurements on freight and passenger railroads in North America.

The Harting Technology Group announced last week it aims to expand its market position in North and Central America. Since 2016, Harting has produced overmolded cables and wiring harnesses at its plant in Silao, Mexico, where officials made the announcement. Harting's focus on Central America is driven by its proximity to customers, company officials said in a press release. Additionally, some automakers and suppliers recently opened production facilities in Mexico.