Rail supplier news from Tutor Perini, Greenbrier, Schneider, Yusen and Tealinc (May 5)

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has awarded a $291.5 million contract to Tutor Perini Corp. to build the Mid-Day Storage Yard as part of the agency's overall East Side Access project, which calls for bringing Long Island Rail Road into Grand Central Terminal. The yard facility encompasses 33 acres and spans 1.4 miles within the Harold Interlocking in Queens, N.Y. Tutor Perini's role in the project includes demolition and removal of existing structures at the site and construction of the new yard. The work also includes installation and testing of the yard's systems. Construction is slated to begin in spring 2017, with "substantial completion" expected in third-quarter 2020, company officials said in a press release.

The Greenbrier Cos. Inc. has promoted Lorie Tekorius to executive vice president. She previously served as senior vice president and CFO. In addition to continuing her CFO duties, Tekorius now chairs a management committee comprising key unit heads, Greenbrier officials said in a press release. She has been with the company for 22 years serving in financial-related roles.

Schneider has begun offering inbound and outbound intermodal ramp service in Baltimore. The ramp will allow the company to provide customers with more efficient intermodal services by creating additional Mid-Atlantic lanes that were previously unavailable in Schneider's network, company officials said in a press release. The new lanes connect Baltimore directly to 10 U.S. ramps and two in Mexico. The ramp also is expected to improve transit times by allowing shipments to avoid Philadelphia and Portsmouth, N.H.

Yusen Logistics (Americas) Inc. has received a service star award from Continental Mills for excellence in intermodal operations in 2016. The award recognizes Yusen's customer service efforts, on-time performance and success in exceeding monthly performance measurements, according to a company press release. For more than eight years, Yusen's Seattle and Chicago branches have been managing intermodal service for Continental Mills. Yusen previously has been recognized with other awards from the company, including the "carrier of the year" award.

Rail-car operating lessor and broker Tealinc Ltd. has hired Kristen Kempson for administrative, marketing and sales support. She'll be responsible for growing the company's marketing database and assisting U.S.-based customers. Kempson has 13 years of experience as a rail-car fleet maintenance manager. Meanwhile, Tealinc announced that it has retained Heather Little as an independent contractor to develop the company's market presence and customer base in Canada. She has 38 years of rail industry experience and has worked for CN and BC Rail.