Rail supplier news from Greenbrier, Alstom, Bombardier, HARTING, WSP USA and STV (Oct. 29)

The Greenbrier Cos. Inc. and Saudi Railway Co. (SAR) last week announced they signed an agreement to both invest and generate investments totaling $270 million in Saudi Arabia’s rail industry. The companies plan to establish a joint venture to execute rail projects and supply rail cars in Saudi Arabia’s freight-rail market. Greenbrier and SAR aim to establish a multimodal business centered on creating and maximizing existing and new rail routes for freight movement throughout Saudi Arabia and, ultimately, the Gulf Cooperation Council region, according to a press release. Greenbrier also announced that in its fourth fiscal quarter ended Aug. 31, it generated revenue of $689.2 million and net earnings of $30.9 million. New rail-car deliveries totaled 6,000 units in the quarter, and the company’s backlog reached 27,400 units valued at $2.7 billion.

An Alstom-led Gibela joint venture recently inaugurated a train manufacturing facility in Dunnottar, South Africa. It is the largest and most advanced train manufacturing plant in Africa, Alstom officials said in a press release. The facility will produce a modern fleet of 580 six-car X’Trapolis Mega commuter trains over the next 10 years for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, they said. The first train is expected to roll off the assembly line by 2018’s end.

Bombardier Transportation recently delivered the 40th TRAXX Multi-System 2 locomotive to Metrans during a ceremony held near Prague. A private rail company based in the Czech Republic, Metrans initially ordered locomotives from Bombardier in 2014, then requested an additional 10 units in 2017. Designed to operate on Europe’s four main rail supply voltages, the TRAXX Multi-System locomotive is designed to provide flexibility and interoperability when operated across Europe. The locomotive also offers highly efficient tractive force with low energy consumption, Bombardier officials said in a press release.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and officials from the city of Elgin and HARTING Inc. of North America last week announced HARTING’s planned expansion of its headquarters in Elgin. The $6 million project calls for adding a lab and showroom to the on-site warehouse and distribution center, and increasing capabilities for injection molding and die-casting processes. The expansion is slated from completion in January 2019. Founded in 1945, HARTING manufactures products for the connector industry that are used in mechanical and plant engineering, factory automation, power generation and distribution, and industrial electronics and telecommunications.

Engineering firm WSP USA has appointed Chris Ferguson central region transit and rail market lead. Based in Chicago, he will be responsible for business development, lead coordination and communications with clients and partners, and supporting technical projects. Ferguson has more than a decade of transit and rail industry expertise, including working with Class Is. He also has worked on transit-rail projects for the Chicago Transit Authority, Utah Transit Authority, Rio Metro Regional Transit District, Metra and SunRail. Ferguson continues to work with various transit agencies on positive train control implementation. 

STV Inc. has named Martin Boyle executive vice president of its transportation and infrastructure division. He succeeds William Matts, who is retiring at year’s end after a 40-year STV career. Boyle previously served as the division’s deputy division manager working directly under Matts. Boyle helped oversee the firm’s rail and bus transportation practices, including vehicles, systems, transportation planning, transit operations and vehicle maintenance facilities. He joined STV in 2000 and since has worked on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Green Line extension, South Transit’s Northgate Link and East Link extensions, city of Ottawa’s Confederation Line and Charlotte Area Transit System’s LYNX Blue Line extension.