Rail supplier news from Bombardier, Thales, Siemens and Parsons Brinckerhoff (May 23)

Bombardier Transportation has started delivering its TRAXX diesel multi-engine locomotives. One of the first customers, Sudostbayernbahn, presented the locomotive in Muhldorf, Germany. "The purchase of eight class 245 TRAXX P160DE multi-engine locomotives is the biggest investment by Sudostbayernbahn in the company's history," said Christoph Kraller, director of Sudostbayernbahn, in a press release. Also, Bombardier announced it has received orders, valued at $338 million, for rolling stock from an undisclosed customer.

Thales has obtained a contract from HAROPA – Port of Le Havre in France for a turnkey upgrade of rail signaling installations on the 3R interlocking system. The contract includes preliminary studies, supply, installation, testing and user training. The new system will enter service in June 2015. This is the third electronic interlocking system contract awarded to Thales by the port.

Siemens obtained three orders valued at $81.8 million from Hungary's state infrastructure development company Nemezeti Infrastruktúra FejlesztÅ‘ Zrt. to supply signaling and control technology to equip two sections of the line between the Budapest suburb of Ferencváros and the small eastern town of Gyoma with ETCS (European Train Control System) Level 2. Commissioning of all three sections is slated to occur in late 2015.

Parsons Brinckerhoff recently announced the following personnel appointments in the firm's New York City office: Osama Abdelfatah, named supervising scheduler, will oversee scheduling for construction of the 96th Street station of the Second Avenue Subway in Manhattan; Shekhar Tarafder, named a supervising engineer, will provide technical expertise for rail traction power projects and general power engineering for facilities and infrastructure systems; and Marc Beningson, named communications, security and control systems manager, will provide solutions for the firm's clients in access control, video surveillance, SCADA, radio, ITS, data and voice communications, networks, and systems integration for control systems for airports, transit systems, bridges and tunnels in the Northeast and nationally.