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Rail industry suppliers recently announced the following domestic and Down Under developments:

• Vossloh AG signed a purchase agreement to acquire the assets of TKL Rail, a unit of Australia's Thompsons Kelly & Lewis Pty Ltd. that manufactures rail switches and switch components. The deal, which is subject to approval by Vossloh's board, is expected to close in mid-December. TKL Rail then would operate as Vossloh Cogifer Australia. Earlier this year, Vossloh acquired U.S. rail-switch suppliers Pohl Corp. and Cleveland Track Material Inc.

• Australian passenger-car builder Downer EDI Rail commissioned Knorr-Bremse to design, manufacture, deliver and maintain braking and door systems for 78 trains featuring 626 double-deck cars to be used in Sydney. Downer EDI Rail and joint venture partner Hitachi are building the passenger trains for Reliance Rail, a consortium that won the NSW rolling stock contract. The trains will be delivered between 2010 and 2013. Car bodies will be partially manufactured in China and completed in Australia at Downer EDI Rail's facilities.

• Koppers Inc. obtained a three-year contract from Norfolk Southern Railway to provide treated wood products from a plant in Muncy, Pa. Expiring Oct. 31, 2010, the contract covers treated crossties, and other products and services.

• Safety Vision L.P. entered into an alliance with Insight Video Net L.L.C. and Pivot3 Inc. to offer public transit agencies and first responders a turnkey system that provides automated capture, management and storage of recorded surveillance video. Safety Vision will provide onboard surveillance cameras and mobile digital video recorders; Insight Video will provide digital media content management software; and Pivot3 will provide high-definition image storage technology.