Rail supplier news from Wabtec, Skanska, Omaha Track and HNTB (May 22)

Wabtec Corp. on May 20 inaugurated its new manufacturing campus in Rohtak, India. The plant represents a $18 million investment and will initially manufacture transit-rail components and subsystems followed by other Wabtec product lines in the coming years. Set on 108,000 square feet, the factory will start off producing axle-mounted disc brake systems, distributor valves, brake calipers and actuators, as well as friction material for freight cars, metro coaches and locomotives for Indian Railways and metros. The campus is expected to host many products in the coming months and years that serve the rail, mining and industrial segments, Wabtec officials said in a press release.

Skanska has been awarded a $24 million contract by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to provide supplemental track improvements to the Red Line during six 24/7 track outages scheduled in 2024. The project scope includes the replacement of ties, rail and restrained rail along both tangent, curved and restrained curve track; removal and replacement of broken or lock spike plates with pandrol plates, insulators and c-bonds; replacement of the contact rail and ballast; joint elimination through thermite welding; direct-fixation and floating slab repairs, including concrete repairs and replacement; surface line and tamping; and track stabilizing.

Omaha Track Inc. subsidiary Omaha Track Equipment (OTE) has opened a new facility in Kansas City, Missouri, with 26,000 square feet of dedicated shop space. OTE provides custom upfitting of vehicles and equipment serving the railroad industry. The equipment is designed to enable railroads and rail suppliers to increase efficiency, reduce maintenance costs and improve fleet performance and safety. The new facility's central location allows OTE to respond nationwide to the growing demand for quality engineered and built hi-rail units, company officials said in a press release.

HNTB has hired Peter Schwartz as railroad development practice lead and vice president to support the firm's transit and rail practice. Schwartz will serve railroad clients on the expansion of intercity passenger-rail service. Schwartz comes to HNTB from a special assignment at the Surface Transportation Board, where he served as a senior adviser for transportation strategy and analysis. Prior to that, Schwartz spent more than 20 years at the Federal Railroad Administration.