Rail supplier updates from Kelso, CIG, Bombardier, Hanson and WSP (Sept. 30)

Kelso Technologies Inc. established an in-house inspection and recertification service for its pressure relief valves due to high customer demand. The added service will be a new revenue source for Kelso and further strengthen its relationships with stakeholders, company officials said in a press release. Every 5 years, the valves in service should be inspected, repaired or retrofitted, and then recertified for commercial service, Kelso officials added.

CIG Logistics obtained a contract to operate and manage the Southton Rail Yard in San Antonio, Texas. The 300-acre rail yard is designed for transloading and storage of energy-related products for the Eagle Ford Shale play. The Southton yard also includes 160 direct train-to-truck car spots. CIG will support the yard with operations knowledge and business development, officials from the logistics company said.

A consortium comprising Bombardier, Alstom and Indra obtained a contract to supply signaling systems and maintenance services for the new high-speed section of the Madrid-Lisbon railway corridor in Spain's Extremadura region. Awarded by Spain's Administrator of Railway Infrastructure (ADIF), the project has a total value of  $185 million. Led by Bombardier, the consortium will deliver the design procurement, installation, testing and commissioning of the signaling and communications systems, including installing the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Level 2 along two sections of the line.

Hanson Professional Services hired civil designer Marcelo Suarez. He'll oversee construction of infrastructure improvements, including a bridge over the Coweeman River for BNSF Railway Co. in Kelso, Wash. Suarez previously served as a civil engineer for more than two years for firms in Ecuador.

Richard Marcus was named a senior supervising planner in the Los Angeles office of WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff. In that role, he'll support he management of complex transportation planning projects, company officials said in a news release. Marcus has 15 years of transportation planning experience and has been involved in managing, researching, and writing planning reports and multimodal studies across several forms of transportation, including high-speed rail and commuter-rail.