Rail supplier news from Trimble, Railhead, Kapsch, STV and Greenbrier (March 10)

Trimble Corp. has partnered with Railhead Corp. to integrate video from Railhead's locomotive digital video recorder system with data feeds from multiple on-train devices that use Trimble's R2M system. The combined remote management and diagnostic platform will give railroads a more complete picture of rail asset status to improve maintenance and operations, company officials said in a joint press release. Access to this data can help enhance rail operators' ability to make informed decisions in real time, they said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has awarded Kapsch TrafficCom North America a four-year contract to design and install an agency-wide transportation management software system. The contract includes options for two additional one-year support periods, according to a Kapsch press release. Powered by Kapsch's DYNAC® platform, the software will enable PANYNJ to manage "intelligent transportation system" assets on Port Authority Trans Hudson passenger-rail lines, as well as on bridges, tunnels, and aviation and port facilities, according to the company. The system also is designed to help the authority improve operational efficiency, visibility of travel conditions and enhance regional transportation coordination.

STV Executive Chairman Dominick Servedio has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering. He earned the honor as a result of his "leadership and effective advocacy on behalf of the engineering and construction professions," STV officials said in a press release. Servedio is one of 84 new members in this year's NAE class. Founded in 1964, the academy has 2,200 members.

The Greenbrier Cos. Inc. has executed a definitive agreement to increase ownership in Amsted-Maxion Equipamentos E Servicos Ferroviarios S.A. (Greenbrier-Maxion) from 19.5 percent to 60 percent. Greenbrier-Maxion is a South American rail-car manufacturer that handles more than 60 percent of new rail-car production in Brazil, according to a Greenbrier press release. The $20 million that Greenbrier is investing will be used to retire debt, which will reduce interest payments by $4 million annually, Greenbrier officials said. Greenbrier in May 2015 obtained its initial 19.5 percent ownership of Greenbrier-Maxion.