Rail supplier news from AllTranstek, ABB, Kontron and WSP (Oct. 17)

AllTranstek LLC has begun offering tax and audit services in response to the demand for assistance in monitoring tax code changes, ad valorem tax compliance and assessment reviews. The company's new tax and audit services division helps clients manage the financial reporting process for state and local taxing jurisdictions, AllTranstek officials said in a news release. To lead the new service offering, the firm appointed John Hoyt manager of tax and audit services. Hoyt began his rail career with TTX Co. in 1979.

Indian Railways has placed an $18 million order with ABB for traction transformers. The units will be customized for the WAP-7 type electric locomotive, which can haul 24 coaches at speeds up to 87 mph. The project is part of Indian Railways' "Mission Electrification" initiative, which aims to electrify nearly 15,000 miles of track. The transformers will be built at BB's facility in Gujurat, India.

Kontron announced two new platforms designed to accelerate autonomous in-vehicle designs and applications. The S2000 Development Platform and the upcoming high-performance embedded computing (HPEC) EvoTRAC™ S1901 computing platform are designed to provide a development-ready design environment, company officials said in a press release. Combining both systems facilitates designs with increased connectivity, remote monitoring capabilities and system interoperability, according to Kontron. The S2000 platform enables developers to test and validate on the same hardware and interfaces that would be used in the actual production of an autonomous in-vehicle system.

WSP USA has appointed Lindsay Wood transit and rail market lead for the Texas-Mountain region. Wood will be based in Austin, Texas, where she will work with clients, lead strategy and business development activities, coordinate with industry partners and support project delivery, WSP officials said in a press release. Most recently, Wood was transit and rail manager for WSP and provided project and technical leadership for Austin's Capital Metro, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Gulf Coast Rail District and other clients.