Rail supplier news from Thermo King, HOTSTART, Saft and Urban Engineers (March 9)

[Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:35 p.m. CST.]

Canadian Pacific has placed an order for more than 400 of Thermo King's SLXi-DRC refrigeration units. The single domestic reefer containers provide room for an extra pallet row to increase cargo capacity. The units use R-452A — a next-generation refrigerant — to help meet sustainability goals, Thermo King officials said in a press release. CP and Thermo King previously performed a four-month field test of an SLXi-DRC unit to verify its performance in CP's rugged environment and climate. The railroad's purchase marked the largest, single domestic reefer container order in Canadian history, Thermo King officials said.

HOTSTART has launched a new team dedicated to new technology development for the renewable energy generation and storage market. The initiative comes as the landscape for power generation evolves and renewable energy sources become economically viable, company officials said in a press release. Historically, HOTSTART's products have been used to preheat coolant and other critical fluids in diesel or natural gas engines. However, HOTSTART officials foresee opportunities to bring their engineering and manufacturing expertise to the renewable energy market as engines shift to electrified solutions. The new market development team is composed of employees with backgrounds in engineering, product design and development, product management and marketing.

Saft has signed a contract with Alstom India to supply backup battery systems for 800 Prima locomotives. Saft India will serve as a local end-to-end supplier from its manufacturing facility in Bangalore, according to a company press release. Although financial details weren't disclosed, Saft officials hailed the order as the company's largest-ever rail contract. Saft will supply 1,600 battery systems for the double-section electric freight locomotives that provide backup power for all vehicle control and critical safety systems. The battery systems are based on Saft's nickel-technology cells, which are designed for energy backup in rail applications.

Urban Engineers has promoted Gregory May to vice president. May serves as the firm's national practice leader for rail and transit. He's an active member in the American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association and the American Public Transportation Association. May is experienced in all phases of engineering design and construction on a range of rail projects, according to a company press release.