Supplier Spotlight (September 2007)

Transit contracts

• The Metropolitan Transportation Authority exercised a $1.1 billion option on a 2002 contract with Alstom Transport and Kawasaki Rail Car Inc. to purchase an additional 620 subway cars for MTA New York City Transit.
• Siemens Transportation Systems Inc. obtained a $40 million contract to supply 24 thyristor controlled rectifier substations for Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s Southeast and Northwest corridor expansions. Siemens also will install its Sitras SES energy storage technology along an eight-mile portion of a Sacramento Regional Transit District light-rail line.
• Bombardier Transportation obtained a $14 million contract to refurbish and overhaul 34 MARC IIB push-pull commuter-rail cars for the Maryland Transit Administration.

International news

• Siemens obtained a $453.5 million contract to supply components for 500 freight locomotives CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co. Ltd. is building for the Chinese railways.
• Bombardier Transportation obtained a $590 million contract to supply 340 Movia(i) metro cars for Delhi Metro Rail Corp. Ltd.
• Alstom obtained a $138 million contract to supply 53 Citadis train sets to the Netherlands’ RET.

M&A

• Global Railway Industries Ltd. reached an agreement to acquire Canada Allied Diesel Co. Ltd.’s assets, including affiliates CAD Railway Services Inc. and Engine Systems Developments Centre.

Software

• Bourque Data Systems introduced YardMaster^® Truck™ software designed to control truck shipment tendering, scheduling, loading and unloading in real time. The company also certified RFTrax’s Asset Management Platform™ for use with its RAILTRAC^® system; and integrated the RAILTRAC^® rail-car location and asset monitoring software with Satamatics’ Inmarsat D+ satellite communications network hardware to offer customers Global Positioning System tracking technology.
• The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Co., Texana Tank Car Manufacturing and BRC Rail Car Services are implementing ExpressYard software to manage the daily operations of their car repair and maintenance facilities. ExpressYard also obtained a three-year contract from Progress Rail Services Corp. to deploy software designed to manage freight-car repair billing functions and car repair facilities’ daily operations.

Delivery schedule

• GE - Transportation delivered its 300th Evolution Series^® locomotive to CSX Transportation.
• Kelso Technologies Inc. has delivered the last of 32 JS75 pressure relief valves to Trinity Tank Car.

Putting it to the test

• RailComm Inc. has finished testing its DOC^® (Domain Operations Controller) System for the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad.

New products

• RMI launched a new suite of online services that offers proactive shipment monitoring, performance metrics, route optimization, fleet utilization and analysis, maintenance coordination, freight rate review and negotiations, and private car accounting services.
• RailComm introduced a Web-enabled version of its Domain Operations Controller (DOC^®) software application, which will enable users to remotely control train-control systems, yard automation, distributed heater control systems and mobile asset management systems.

Seal of approval

• Salco Technologies L.L.C. received Underwriters Laboratories’ certification for the EverSee2 satellite communications product and monitoring sensors.
• MTU Detroit Diesel Inc. obtained U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certification that the company’s 12V4000 R33 engine meets Tier 2 emission standards.