Rail supplier news from Stadler, Railway and Industrial Services, Keolis and Alstom (Oct. 20)

Stadler recently broke ground on a new locomotive manufacturing plant in Salt Lake City. The company in 2016 rented a service plant from the Utah Transit Authority to build trains for the future TEX Rail commuter system in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. After Stadler received a contract from Caltrain for 16 bi-level trains in August 2016, the company determined it needed more production space, according to a Stadler press release. The new facility will include 75,000 square feet of production space, as well as test track to commission trains.

Railway and Industrial Services Inc. (RISX) has retained mergers-and-acquisitions specialist Equity Partners HG to seek a refinancing, joint venture or equity partner. Equity Partners also may assist in selling land, buildings, equipment and business, officials from that company said in a press release. For the past 17 years, RISX has performed rail-car repairs and conversions, as well as general lease returns.

Keolis Transit America has appointed Teresa Cole vice president of safety and risk. Cole previously served as senior director of safety in the First Group's eastern region. Before that, she was area safety manager for Laidlaw Education Services. Cole's experience and approach will help deliver strategic objectives related to Keolis Transit America's ongoing safety efforts, said Steve Shaw, the company's president and chief officer, in a press release. Transit America is a subsidiary of Keolis North America.

Alstom has shipped the first Metropolis train in an additional order for Line 1 in Lima, Peru. In 2016, the company signed a contract with Grana y Montero Ferrovias for 20 additional trains and 39 rail cars to increase the line's fleet. The Metropolis unit features extra-wide seats and gangways between coaches. The additional cars will cut headway on Line 1 to three minutes and increase capacity to 48,000 passengers per hour, Alstom officials said in a press release.