Rail supplier news from GE, ENSCO, A & K Railroad Materials, Metrom Rail and REMSA (April 13)

GE Transportation has acquired a 50 percent stake in locomotive manufacturer Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty from KTZ, Kazakhstan's national railway company. KTZ has been working with GE for more than a decade and has produced more than 300 Evolution Series locomotives, KTZ President Kanat Alpysbayev said in a press release. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty was formed in 2009 as a 50-50 joint venture between KTZ and Transmashholding, Russia's largest rail equipment producer.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded ENSCO Inc. a five-year contract to operate and maintain six track inspection cars as part of the agency's Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP). The cars conduct operational surveys of the U.S. rail transportation network and determine compliance with federal track safety standards. ENSCO's involvement with the program dates back to the 1970s, when the company received its first FRA contract. ATIP has been a "cornerstone" for ENSCO for many years, said President Boris Nejikovsky in a press release.

OmniTRAX Inc. gave its second annual Supplier of the Year Award to A & K Railroad Materials Inc. The recognition was based on A & K's strong safety performance, project completion, on-time shipments and responsiveness to OmniTRAX's requirements, OmniTRAX officials said in a press release. OmniTRAX chooses its supplier of the year based on a scorecard system and consideration from the company's supplier council, which is made up of six managers from different departments. 

Metrom Rail has hired Tom Harding as vice president of engineering. He will lead engineering operations and expand product development. Harding has nearly three decades of engineering experience and most recently worked for Wi-Tronix LLC. He also has experience in telecommunications through stints with Nokia and Motorola.

The Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) has opened applications for its 2017 scholarship program. This year, the association will award one President's Scholarship for $7,500, along with one $5,000 runner-up award and five additional scholarships at $2,500 each. To be eligible, applicants must be a full- or part-time employee of a REMSA member company, or a spouse, child or grandchild of a full-time employee of a REMSA member. The deadline for submitting applications is June 30. More information on the program can be found here.