Rail supplier news from Kinkisharyo, Alstom, STV and HARTING (March 9)

On March 5, Kinkisharyo International's new P3010 light-rail vehicles rolled into their first revenue service for the opening of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) Gold Line extension. The cars were built under a contract that was given notice to proceed in August 2012, which means the vehicles went from concept to revenue service in 43 months. The new units can operate on all six Metro light-rail lines. They also will be used on the Expo Line when it opens in May. Additionally, the cars are fully Buy America-compliant, manufactured with components from the United States and Japan and assembled in Palmdale, Calif.

Alstom and its local South African joint venture company Gibela have begun construction of a new manufacturing site that will build 580 suburban trains for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. The 645,000-square-foot site is expected to be finished in 18 months and will deliver 3,480 coaches over the next decade. The first South African-manufactured train will be completed by 2017's end, Alstom officials said in a press release. The company will employ 1,500 people at the site's manufacturing, assembly and testing facilities. The site also will include an academic training center, workshops, office buildings and a test track and test facility for the new trains.

STV Inc. has promoted Norman Forde to vice president to lead the company's downtown Baltimore office. Forde joined the firm in 2008 and has worked with North American clients including the Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. He's also managed the procurement of new commuter- and light-rail cars and overseen initiatives to improve transportation safety technology, STV officials said in a press release. Forde is a member of the American Public Transportation Association's high-speed rail committee.

HARTING U.S. has hired Vivek Dave as director of technology development. He'll direct all North American research, new activities and projects with the company's technology partners. Dave has more than 20 years of experience in early-stage development of advanced technologies involving manufacturing, materials and algorithms. He cofounded Sigma Labs in 2006 and has since been involved in number of startup organizations, HARTING officials said in a press release.