Rail supplier updates from Alstom, AXION, Tealinc, Bombardier, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Gannett Fleming (Feb. 12)

Alstom has opened a new bogie overhaul facility in Manchester, England. Capable of overhauling 26 bogie sets a week, the new facility will add 63 new employees to the company. "[The new facility] is designed to optimize mileage between overhauls and to increase fleet availability," Alstom UK President Terence Watson said in a press release.

AXION's distributor Alcoa Fastening System and Rings (AFSR) finalized a three-year, $8 million contract with KiwiRail in New Zealand. As part of the contract, AFSR will supply AXION's ECOTRAX rail ties to the rail operator. The new ties will replace traditional wooden ties.

Tealinc Ltd. announced a call for applications for two $1,000 industry scholarships, which are open to current employees or their dependents in the rail industry. Candidates must be enrolled or in the process of enrolling in some form of post-secondary education by April 1. Those interested can find more details at tealinc.com.

Bombardier Transportation has launched a battery-powered, independently electric multiple unit train. The company reconfigured a Standard Express Class 379 ELECTROSTAR train with the new technology following a seven-month design phase, according to a Bombardier press release.

Christopher Bente has been named a supervising GIS planner in the Sacramento office of Parsons Brinckerhoff, where he will manage GIS services in support of planning, environmental, engineering and program management on behalf of the California high-speed rail project. The firm also named Scot Sibert a senior principal technical specialist in the Charlotte office, where he will manage transit and rail planning projects throughout North Carolina. Additionally, Josef Villa was named a senior supervising engineer in the firm's New York City office, where he will manage structural engineering elements of transportation infrastructure projects.

David Thomas has been named director of strategic initiatives for Gannett Fleming. Based in the Miami, Thomas is a senior vice president and a member of the company’s board of directors. He joined the company five years ago, serving first as national director of transit and rail, where he built one of the fastest-growing operations in the company. He then added responsibility for the firm’s operations in the southeastern United States, where he oversaw 14 offices and 200 employees, according to a company press release.