Rail supplier news from Birmingham Rail, Wabtec, Bombardier, Cubic, Hub and NRC (May 17)

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. (BR&L), a division of A. Stucki Co., has acquired Austintown Rail Supply, a supplier of switching materials and other railroad track products. Austintown Rail Supply will now operate as BR&L’s Austintown, Ohio, location. BR&L retained the company’s 10 employees, and expects to add three or four more employees to support a new crane rail operation, which will supply rail and accessories for overhead cranes, according to a BR&L press release.

Wabtec Corp. has invested in GE Additive’s H2 binder jet printer capabilities to design and produce reliable, low-cost components for current and developmental engines, locomotive, transit and mining programs, according to a Wabtec press release. Additive technologies could be used in the production of up to 250 components for Wabtec product lines by 2025, company officials said.

Bombardier Transportation will install a large-scale industrial-grade Stratasys F900 3D printer at its manufacturing site in Hennigsdorf, Germany. The 3D printer will be used to print interior and exterior train parts, such as air ducts, housings and cable holders. Bombardier will also 3D print customized rail tools to aid the production process and speed up the launch of new platforms, according to a Stratasys press release. The 3D printed rail parts produced will support primarily the specific production demands of German, Swiss and Austrian rail and tram companies. 

Cubic Transportation Systems was awarded a five-and-a-half-year, $68 million contract extension by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) to provide technical support services for the TAP fare payment program. The contract is linked to two recently awarded Cubic contracts to develop and operate a mobile application, as well as to provide infrastructure upgrades to support the app, according to a Cubic press release.

Hub Group Inc. President and Chief Operating Officer Don Maltby has announced his retirement, effective June 30. Maltby also will retire from Hub Group’s board, according to a company press release. Maltby joined Hub in 1990 and has served as chief supply chain officer, chief strategy officer and president of Hub Cleveland. He became president and COO in 2015.

The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) is seeking applicants for its scholarships for the children and grandchildren of employees of NRC-member companies. At least three scholarships will be awarded to students who are enrolled as a full-time college student. The first place award is $12,000.