Rail supplier updates from Greenbrier, Bombardier, Amsted RPS, Jacobs Engineering and RailComm (May 8)

The Greenbrier Cos. has closed on a previously reported $15 million acquisition of a portion of AmstedMaxion Hortolandia, a rail-car manufacturer in South America. Greenbrier initially acquires a 19.5 percent ownership stake in the manufacturer, with the option of acquiring an additional 40.5 percent ownership interest by Sept. 30, 2017.

Bombardier Corp. reported first-quarter 2015 net income of $100 million, down from $115 million from the same period last year. Earnings per share to 5 cents compared with 6 cents last year. Revenue for the quarter remained flat at $4.4 billion. The company has also begun preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) of a minority stake in its rail division, Bombardier Transportation. The IPO is expected to occur in the fourth quarter, according to a Bombardier press release.

Amsted RPS last month hosted U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.) at its facility in Atchison, Kan. During her visit, Jenkins met with Amsted RPS Vice President and General Manager Wes Hodges, Director of Transit Operations Hakan Eksi and several other members of the company's leadership team. Jenkins sponsored the Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act, which was introduced in early March.

Jacobs Engineering Group provided consulting services for a study of a high-speed rail (HSR) project linking Singapore with Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Jacobs forecasted ridership and revenue levels for the study, which was delivered by professional services firm KPMG. The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR would provide a 90-minute commute between the cities along a 217-mile line, Jacobs officials said.

RailComm has shipped the first production units of its newly launched Expandable Automation Controller (EAC). The controller platform does not require human-to-computer interaction to transfer data over the network, and enables direct access, data collection and support for all field services within a rail yard, according to a RailComm press release. The EAC's expandable IO capability is designed to allow integration of multiple embedded applications, which means it's possible to add more functionality to the device beyond remote switch control, they added.