Rail supplier news from Bombardier, Linfox, ENSCO, WAGO and Stantec (Aug. 15)

Bombardier Transportation has obtained two contracts to provide its driverless Innovia Monorail 300 system to two new rapid transit lines in Bangkok. The company will design and supply the mechanical and electrical elements for the lines and deliver a combined total of 72, four-car Innovia trains, which are equipped with the Cityflo 650 automatic train control technology for driverless operations. The new trains are expected to serve more than 400,000 daily passengers, according to a Bombardier press release. A Bombardier-Puzhen joint venture will manufacture the units in China.

Linfox Logistics has formed a consortium with Australian freight-rail operator Pacific National to purchase Aurizon's freight haulage and end-to-end freight forwarding assets on Queensland's northern line. The acquisition is aimed at enabling Linfox to improve the scale and scope of its own freight forwarding services, Linfox officials said in a press release. Pacific National will work with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to gain clearance for the acquisition of other assets of Aurizon Queensland Intermodal.

ENSCO Inc. has hired Steven Chrismer as senior project engineer for rail. In the role, he'll lead the company's efforts to provide research, consulting and testing services in vehicle design, vehicle dynamics, vehicle/track interactions and passenger-rail safety. Chrismer has more than 35 years of experience improving track and vehicle engineering for freight and passenger railroads, ENSCO officials said in a press release. Before joining the company, he worked at LTK Engineering, where he performed technical investigations of vehicles. Chrismer also worked for five years at Amtrak, where he implemented practices to improve track geometry and ride quality in advance of 160 mph service.

WAGO has named Andy Chesla regional sales manager for southern Minnesota and South Dakota. He previously held a technical sales role with Power/mation for four years. Before that, he was a sales associate at the same company for six years. Chesla brings a combination of technical experience and thorough knowledge of his region, WAGO officials said in a press release.

Ryan Raske has joined Stantec as senior railway engineer in St. Paul, Minnesota. During his more than 15 years of experience as a civil engineer and project manager, Raske has worked with local, state and federal agencies in the United States. He's also worked with BNSF Railway Co., CN, Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific Railroad. His experience includes designing and planning rail yards, sidings, and intermodal facility grading and drainage.