Rail supplier news from Bombardier, Siemens, AXION, Alstom and BMT (Dec. 26)

Bombardier Transportation obtained a $17 million contract (in Canadian dollars) to provide train operations for TransLink's West Coast Express commuter-rail system in Vancouver, British Columbia. The contract includes train operation services for five years and options for three additional five-year periods. Bombardier expects to mobilize for service at the beginning of 2014 and assume train operations responsibility in May 2014. Bombardier also announced that SNCF exercised an option for 30 additional Regio 2N double-deck electric multiple units. The order, which will be financed by the French Regions, is valued at $379 million and is part of a 2010 contract with SNCF for up to 860 trains for the French Regions. The additional trains will be delivered between June 2016 and April 2017.

Finnish Railways VR Group intends to order 80 electric Vectron locomotives from Siemens worth about $410 million. The order represents the largest rolling stock investment ever made by VR Group, Siemens announced in a press release. The order will include an option for an additional 97 locomotives and locomotive maintenance for 10 years. Also, the German Federal Railway Authority approved new ICE trainsets from Siemens for deployment on Deutsche Bahn's network. Two trains were delivered in November for test purposes. Siemens has now supplied DB with two more ICE trains of the Velaro D type for deployment in German, with four additional trains to follow in spring 2014.

AXION Recycled Plastics Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of AXION International Holdings Inc., has commissioned an additional extrusion line to increase manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand. The newly commissioned equipment entered production this month. The equipment will add an additional 1.8-million pounds of pelletized recycled plastic resin to the company's monthly capacity.

Alstom marked the 10th anniversary of its Alimentation Par le Sol, or ground-level power supply (APS) system as 26 new Citadis trams enter service in Bordeaux, France. Bordeaux was the first city to choose the catenary-free technology. APS powers the Citadis tram via a third rail embedded in the ground, preserving the city's architectural heritage.

BMT Group Ltd. subsidiary BMT Asia Pacific Ltd. and Orient Express Solutions Pte Ltd. (OES) formed a partnership to expand their rail services in Asia Pacific. A memorandum of understanding signed last month will facilitate collaboration on future rail projects in the region.