Rail supplier news from Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Transit Innovations, Network Rail, Trimble and T. Parker Host (Dec. 7)

Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives Inc. (IEA) has acquired William Charles Construction Group, including Ragnar Benson, which provides engineering and construction services to the rail and heavy civil industries. FMI Capital Advisors acted as the financial adviser to Williams Charles for the transaction. Founded in 1892, William Charles provides civil construction services, including the planning, development and maintenance of rail and intermodal infrastructure. IEA is an infrastructure construction company with expertise in specialized energy and heavy civil work. "This combination accelerates our diversification and growth strategy through entry into the rail construction market," said IEA Chief Executive Officer JP Roehm in a press release.

Transit Innovations LLC last month announced it has engaged Castle Placement LLC as a placement agent to raise capital for a commuter-rail system that would use existing freight-rail tracks and high-density real estate development in the Milwaukee area. Transit Innovations plans to develop the E-Way system in partnership with Bombardier Transportation. The company is seeking to raise about $1.5 billion of capital, with 70 percent to be used to develop the real estate around stations. E-Way would feature 23 stations along 55 miles of existing tracks. The system would serve downtown Milwaukee, Menomonee Valley, Waukesha, New Berlin, Brookfield, Elm Grove, Wauwatosa, West Allis, Century City and General Mitchell International Airport. The system would operate under two entities: Milwaukee Passenger Rail Co. and Transit Oriented Development LLC.
 
Network Rail Consulting has appointed Joseph Black vice president-U.S. Western Region. He will be responsible for developing the firm’s business in the western half of the United States with a focus on continued growth in the major metropolitan areas surrounding Los Angeles and San Francisco. Black also will oversee Network Rail’s role as a partner in the California high-speed rail program. He most recently was deputy executive director of the Lone Star Rail District, where he led the development of the regional commuter-rail project between Austin and San Antonio, Texas.

Trimble has introduced the Trimble® D2M rolling stock allocation and management system that’s designed to provide railroads better control of their rolling stock resources to maximize utilization and minimize service disruptions. The system can manage rolling stock allocation and schedules to meet timetable and service requirements. "With a single view, fleet controllers can allocate, deallocate, reallocate, swap and perform special traffic moves while receiving information from the operator's maintenance management system," Trimble officials said in a press release. The system is designed to integrate with a railroad’s maintenance management system of choice, thereby streamlining rolling stock allocation and management, they said.

Maritime services provider T. Parker Host has obtained a strategic investment from Metalmark Capital that coincides with Host's recent acquisition of the 254-acre Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans. Host acquired a controlling interest in the shipyard from Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. via a partnership with Hilco Real Estate. Host plans to connect the shipyard to a New Orleans Public Belt Railroad line — gaining access to six Class Is — through a binding cooperative agreement with the Port of New Orleans, which controls the railroad.