Rail supplier news from Wabtec, Keolis, RailState, Narstco and L&T (Dec. 7)

Wabtec Corp. today posted on Twitter that the company's Shuttlewagon NVX8040 mobile rail-car mover transported sections of the solid rocket boosters across the NASA Railroad for final assembly at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket boosters are being used as part of NASA's Artemis mission to the moon. Meanwhile, Wabtec also announced its DistanceMaster solution took a step toward improving braking performance for transit-rail operators with the certification of the company's adaptive wheel slide protection technology. The solution addresses the wheel and rail adhesion bottleneck, enabling transit systems to improve efficiency and increase network capacity, Wabtec officials said in a press release.

Keolis North America has appointed Steve Shaw chief operating officer. Serving as the first COO for Keolis North America, Shaw has full accountability for U.S. transit operations, expanding his previous role as president and CEO of Keolis Transit America. In that role, Shaw led bus operations across the United States, established Keolis’ presence across geographies and drove its growth through contract wins and renewals.

RailState's network of sensors now covers all of Canada, spanning both CN and Canadian Pacific railways. RailState’s coverage provides Canadian rail users with network data to plan shipments and modal choices via a complete view of the railway network. The company's U.S. coverage will begin in January 2023, starting at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and working east.

Narstco Inc., a manufacturer of sustainable steel ties and turnouts, has been chosen by Norfolk Southern Railway as a winner of the railroad's inaugural Thoroughbred Sustainability Partner Awards in the environmental stewardship category. The award recognizes NS partner companies that are leaders in the categories of energy efficiency, innovation and environmental stewardship.

L&T Construction's buildings and factories business has secured an order from the National High-Speed Rail Corp. Ltd. in India to construct the Sabarmati Depot in the state of Gujarat for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project through a consortium led by Sojitz Corp., based in Japan. The scope of the package project involves design, supply, construction, testing and commissioning of the depot, including the equipment required to inspect and maintain rolling stock based on Shinkansen technology.