Rail supplier news from Ansaldo STS, Trinity, Alstom, Tiger Cool, Bombardier, RSI and Stantec (Dec. 20)

Ansaldo STS recently was awarded a $20.5 million contract by MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to provide signaling along a 45-mile segment of line between Speonk and Montauk, N.Y. The contract calls for Ansaldo to design and furnish a new microprocessor based on interlocking control system as part of LIRR's project to improve signaling on this portion of the line from dark territory to signal territory. The upgrade will support LIRR's plan to install a positive train control system, according to a company press release.

Trinity Industries Inc. closed the initial sale of leased rail cars to Element Financial Corp. under a new $2 billion strategic rail-car alliance agreement announced earlier this month. The initial sale consisted of a portfolio of existing leased cars from Trinity's lease fleet. The sale generated total proceeds of $105 million. Trinity does not have any remaining ownership interest in the leased cars sold to Element. Trinity subsidiary Trinity Industries Leasing Co. will act as servicer of the rail cars sold to Element.

Alstom obtained a $56 million contract from MTR Corp. Ltd., Hong Kong's metro network operator, to build, install, test and put into service a 13.7-mile track. The line includes 3.7 miles of depot and sidings, and an overhead line and catenary system for the city's new Shatin-Central Link. The project is slated for completion in 2018. Also, Alstom recently delivered the first of the 11 Citadis trams to the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai.

Tiger Cool Express L.L.C. has acquired an initial order of 200 refrigerated containers for its start-up operations this spring. Quest Capital Inc. is supplying the initial equipment. Hyundai Translead has ordered the intermodal containers, which will be manufactured in Tijuana, Mexico, according to a Tiger Cool press release. Carrier Transicold will provide the refrigeration units, which are X4 7300 model units.

Bombardier Transportation and the Moscow State University of Railway Engineering (MIIT) have signed a three-year cooperation agreement for railway technologies. Following the business development of services in Russia, Bombardier started to work with MIIT, the major university in the railway industry. The agreement supports future exchange in areas including science, innovation and development of railway transportation systems, according to a Bombardier press release.

The Railway Supply Institute (RSI) is now accepting 2014-15 school year applications for the RSI Scholarship Program, which provides a minimum of five $5,000 scholarships each year. Scholarship recipients are college students pursuing degrees in engineering, business, transportation and a variety of other fields. Applicants must be the child or dependent of a current employee whose company is a member of RSI or one of the Coordinated Mechanical Associations. The application deadline is May 31, 2014.

Steve Donald has joined Stantec as railway operations planning and modeling lead. Based in Ontario, he will lead the group specializing in transit and rail capacity studies, operations planning, scheduling and simulation. Donald's railway career spans 30 years and multiple aspects of the industry. He has provided modeling expertise for the Toronto Transit Commission, Canadian Pacific, GO Transit, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.