Rail supplier news from RailWorks, TekTracking, Geopier, Mitsui Rail, Ricardo and Michael Baker (Aug. 28)

RailWorks Corp. signed a five-year contract with the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority to inspect and maintain more than 65 miles of freight-rail track in Southern California. The track segment includes 125 turnouts, 10 bridges, signals at 48 locations, seven grade crossings and 50 other communications assets, RailWorks officials said in a press release. Other infrastructure assets covered under the maintenance agreement include stormwater pump stations, trench access stairs, security cameras, vegetation and graffiti control.

TekTracking has installed a wayside infrastructure asset condition monitoring site at a six-switch interlocking and a separate grade crossing location for an East Coast transit agency. The agency will now have access to real-time asset condition data collected in the field and then transmitted to MPEC Technology Ltd.’s Centrix analytics platform. The solution allows the agency to receive alerts when device performance degrades, as well as remotely diagnosis performance issues.

Geopier Foundation Co. has launched a new intermediate foundation solution to stabilize weak track subgrades without the need to remove track, ties or ballast. The GeoSpike system is made of a set of polymer shells designed to be installed between ties. When rail cars pass over the system, energy is transferred through the GeoSpike down to a stronger bearing layer, creating greater support capacity and settlement control, Geopier officials said in a press release. 

Mitsui Rail Capital LLC (MRC) appointed Kevin Cook vice president of sales, marketing and business development. Prior to joining MRC, Cook spent 17 years as general manager at Midland Manufacturing, a producer of rail tank-car valves and equipment. Prior to his work at Midland, Cook held positions at ITT Engineered Systems, Grinnell Corp. and Tyco Flow Control, MRC officials said in a press release.

Ricardo is supporting Riding Sunbeams Ltd.’s power generation research project aimed at building and connecting the world’s first full-scale community-owned solar farm to the rail network in the United Kingdom by 2020's end, Ricardo officials said in a press release. The Ricardo team is managing monitoring equipment and working with Birmingham University to commission and review the energy model simulating this system.

Michael Baker International has named Douglas Peterson office executive. He will provide operational management, staff management and production and project oversight in the Boston office. Peterson has more than 26 years of experience as a structural engineer with a focus on transportation and rail projects.