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AECOM Technology Corp. has obtained a $16.8 million contract from the Metropolitan Council for preliminary engineering work on the Southwest LIght-Rail Transit Line in Minneapolis. AECOM will provide preliminary engineering services for the western half of the 15.8-mile corridor that will run from downtown Minneapolis through several southwestern suburbs. To open in 2014 and include 17 new stations, the route is an extension of the Green Line between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul.

RR Mergers & Acquisitions announced that R & R Contracting has acquired Oberkramer Contracting, which provides track installation and maintenance project consultation services to Class Is, short lines and maintenance-of-way contractors. Jim Howard will continue to operate Oberkramer and have expanded responsibilities with R & R Contracting, RR Mergers officials said in a prepared statement. RR Mergers sold Oberkramer to new ownership in 2005. After increasing revenue, the same owners engaged RR Mergers to handle the latest sale of the company. The Oberkramer deal is the second rail services company RR Mergers has sold to R & R Contracting. "This acquisition accelerates our progress in providing railroad construction and maintenance services in more than 20 states," said R & R Contracting President Bill Reimer.

Balfour Beatty Rail Inc.'s Rail Services division has announced several promotions and expanded roles for key operational personnel. RT Swindall has been named director of operations-East and will retain responsibility for the division's equipment department and track solutions group; Steve Gorton has been promoted from regional manager of the Rocky Mountain Region to director of operations-West; Jamie Yourren's role as director of operations-crossings and signals has been expanded to oversight of the ACTA and PHL maintenance activities along the Alameda Corridor; Jason Bulger has been promoted to senior operations manager-track solutions, which will include centralized surfacing operations; and Lynn Houser has been named national business development manager.

Invensys Rail Corp. was recognized for helping to restore Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) rail service between Jersey City, N.J., and midtown Manhattan following Hurricane Sandy. In testimony before a congressional committee on Dec. 6, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Patrick Foye recognized Invensys for its round-the-clock efforts, Invensys officials said in a prepared statement. By reallocating and expanding engineering and manufacturing hours and expediting incoming material supplies, Invensys completed three signal control centers in three-and-a-half weeks. In addition, by reallocating and expediting inventories, the company was able to supply a large quantity of critical signal equipment to other PATH system locations, Invensys officials said.

FreightCar America Inc. has appointed Kathleen Boege general counsel and corporate secretary, effective Jan. 14. She most recently was chief administrative officer, general counsel and secretary for Bally Total Fitness Corp. Boege joined Bally in 2007 as vice president, associate general counsel and assistant secretary, and subsequently served as senior vice president, general counsel and interim senior vice president of human resources. She also has served in senior legal positions at the the Chicago Stock Exchange and practiced law at Jones Day and Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon.

Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd. has obtained a $10.75 million contract to supply the ground-based signaling system for the Xiamen-Shenzhen high-speed rail line in China's Guangdong section. Hollysys also will provide the train control centers, line-side electronic units and other auxiliary equipment, which is expected to be delivered and installed by October.