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• ENSCO Inc. has promoted Boris Nejikovsky to vice president of the Rail Technologies Division. Since he joined ENSCO in 1993 as a senior engineer, Nejikovsky has served the company as staff engineer, chief engineer and, most recently, acting division manager of the Rail Technologies Division. He helped design and integrate many of the division's products, including the Portable Ride Quality Measurement System, Gage Restraint Measurement System, Laser Gage, Rail Profile Measurement System, Autonomous Vehicle/Track Interaction Monitors and Joint Bar Inspection System.

• The Timken Co. announced plans to realign its organization to improve efficiency and reduce costs. To be completed by the third quarter’s end, the reorganization will provide pre-tax savings of $30 million to $40 million in annual selling and administrative expenses, the company said. Full-year savings would be realized in 2010. As Timken streamlines its operating structure, up to 400 salaried positions will be eliminated in 2009. During the past 15 months, Timken has reduced production and cut its manufacturing workforce by about 2,500 positions. The company also has shortened work weeks and reduced operating hours.

• Since they entered service at 2003’s end, Bordeaux, France’s Citadis trams have logged more than 6 million kilometers using an APS wireless power supply system developed by Alstom Transport, the company announced. The Communauté Urbaine de Bordeaux, which transports about 200,000 passengers on its three tram lines daily, was the first metropolitan area in the world to opt for this technology, Alstom said. The APS availability rate on the three lines is more than 99 percent. Angers, Reims and Orléans later adopted APS technology in 2006, followed by Dubai in 2008, Alstom said.

• Crowcon Detection Instruments has installed more than 500 gas monitoring systems in Spain’s 17-mile Guadarrama Tunnel — one of the world’s largest rail tunnels — and five-mile San Pedro Tunnel. The systems are designed to detect potentially flammable and toxic gases before they reach hazardous levels, such as carbon monoxide and nitrous dioxide. The tunnels form part of the recently opened Madrid-to-Valladolid high-speed rail link.