Supplier news from Balfour Beatty and Hitachi Rail (Sept. 18)

Balfour Beatty was awarded a $9 million contract for the next phase of the city of San Diego’s Park Boulevard grade crossing project near Petco Park. The crossing is located within rail right-of-way tracks of BNSF Railway Co., San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. The rail project is a part of a $27 million investment to accommodate one of the final pieces of public infrastructure for the ballpark. Balfour Beatty will execute demolition activities to remove existing tracks and overhead catenary systems equipment, dispose of ballast and provide excavation and soil monitoring services. Additionally, the will construct new track and install overhead catenary system improvements and railroad signal infrastructure. When finished, the project will provide a roadway connecting Harbor Drive to Park Boulevard in downtown San Diego, according to a Balfour Beatty press release.

Hitachi Rail is leading a public-private partnership to create a new battery pack that is lighter and smaller so it can be installed on commuter and suburban trains in the United Kingdom. The company is collaborating with Innovate UK, University of Birmingham and consultant DB ESG. The new battery pack will build on and complement the  intercity battery technology now being tested on the Transpennine route and adapted for a regional train. Collaborating with Sunderland-based battery supplier Turntide Technologies means Hitachi can bring the latest in automotive battery technology to the rail industry, Hitachi Rail officials said in a press release.