Rail supplier news from GE, Progress Rail, Greenbrier, WSP and HDR (Sept. 19)

Indian Railways has confirmed acceptance of GE Transportation's 4,500-horsepower diesel-electric Evolution Series prototype locomotive. The milestone followed the completion of "rigorous testing" on Indian Railways' tracks following delivery of the locomotive in February, GE officials said in a press release. The unit is part of a $2.5 billion agreement signed in 2015 for 1,000 locomotives. That pact also included the establishment of a new GE Transportation factory and maintenance sheds in India.

Progress Rail has signed a memorandum of understanding with Egyptian National Railways (ENR) for new locomotives. The pact includes terms to modernize, overhaul and maintain a portion of ENR's existing locomotive fleet with a long-term service agreement. Since the early 1950s, Progress Rail has served the Egyptian market through its EMD product brand. The company has powered or supplied the majority of ENR's current operational fleet, with more than 1,100 locomotives delivered. The largest transportation network in the Cairo region, ENR each year moves 500 million passengers and manages transport of 6 million tons of goods.

The Greenbrier Cos. Inc. is exhibiting at InnoTrans 2018 in Berlin, Germany. The show began will run through Sept. 21. Greenbrier's products include new freight wagons for rail transportation markets worldwide, including North and South America, the Middle East and Europe. The company's outdoor display of rolling stock will feature its car carrier Laaers, an ammonia LPG tank wagon, the Mercitalia Shimmns wagon for steel coils and a mineral oil tank wagon.

WSP USA has appointed Robert Zmudzinski vice president and national rail systems engineering manager in New York City. He will lead the transit and rail systems engineering team and support business development across the United States. Zmudzinski has more than 30 years of transit and rail industry expertise, including work on projects for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Amtrak. He also served as the systems integration manager for the MTA's $4 billion Second Avenue Subway project.

HDR has hired Mark Fuhrmann to lead the firm's Minnesota and Wisconsin transit practice. Last month, he retired as deputy general manager of Minneapolis Metro Transit, where he oversaw construction of the region's 62 miles of passenger rail. Fuhrmann's first assignment will be to serve as program manager for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District's West Lake and double-track projects.