Rail supplier news from Bombardier, Yusen, Strato, Geismar and OPW (March 30)

Bombardier Transportation has received an order from German railway company Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) for 25 double-deck intercity trainsets. The sets consist of 25 Traxx locomotives and 124 Twindexx Vario double-deck intercity cars. The order was based on two framework agreements signed with DB in 2008 and 2013. Delivery is slated to start in 2019, Bombardier officials said in a press release.

Third-party logistics provider Yusen Logistics Inc. has formed the Transportation Solutions Group (TSG) to create customized solutions for new and existing customers. The group will provide specialized and niche transportation services such as cross-border Mexico intermodal and truckload transportation. In addition, TSG will offer managed transportation services and adjacent handling services such as cargo consolidation and de-consolidation. The group also will focus on providing value-added warehouse services from its facilities in Charlotte, N.C., and Laredo, Texas. The team will be led by Kyosuke Noguchi.

Strato Inc.'s F-Style knuckle has passed the Association of American Railroads' (AAR) M-216 fatigue lifecycle test, the company announced earlier this month. The specification requires an average fatigue life of at least 600,000 cycles, Strato officials said in a press release. The StratoMAX product line includes AAR M-216 E-knuckles and M-216 F-knuckles, couplers and coupler components.

Rail maintenance equipment manufacturer Geismar is launching new operations in Beaufort County, S.C. The company is investing $2.9 million into the venture, which is expected to create 50 jobs, county officials said in a statement. Founded in 1924, Geismer also serves as a distributor of maintenance equipment.

OPW has named Kevin Long president. He joined OPW's parent company Dover Corp. in 2014 as president of the Colder Products Co. Before that, Long served as vice president of customer care at KaVo-Kerr, a division of Danaher. He also held various product management, operations and general management roles at Danaher. OPW supplies rail-car valves and equipment.