Rail supplier news from Harsco, Progress Rail, Siemens, Bombardier and Aon Risk (July 3)

Harsco Corp. recently obtained its second major railway track and infrastructure maintenance equipment award from SBB, the federal railway system of Switzerland. Valued at more than $100 million, the contract calls for 59 high-speed catenary vehicles that will be used for the construction, maintenance and repair of overhead catenary systems throughout Switzerland. Equipment deliveries will begin in 2016 and continue through 2017.

Caterpillar Inc. subsidiary Progress Rail Services Corp. has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Pacific Rail Engineering’s (PRE) track business. PRE is an Australian-based company that designs and manufactures specialized track products for the freight- and transit-rail markets. The acquisition was finalized on June 17.

In a consortium with Thales, Siemens won a contract to install signaling and control equipment on the high-speed line between Antequera and Granada, Spain. The $285.9 million contract, which recently was sealed between the consortium and Spanish operating company Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias, encompasses the installation of automatic train protection systems, and telecommunication and traffic control systems, and system maintenance for 20 years.

Bombardier Transportation presented this year's Supplier Sustainability Awards to its suppliers Knorr-Bremse AG - Division Rail and Clerprem S.p.A. The awards recognize suppliers' accomplishments in the field of sustainable development and their commitment to corporate social responsibility. Products and services that meet Bombardier's high environmental and safety standards strengthen the company's competitive advantage and its claim to shape the future of mobility responsibly, Bombardier officials said in a press release.

Global risk management business Aon Risk Solutions recently introduced a Cantilever Excess Pollution Liability product, which is designed to respond to the railroad industry's need for insurance coverage to protect communities and the environment where railroads operate, Aon officials said in a press release. The coverage aims to address specific environmental incidents, and is applied over and above railroads’ existing insurance policies to insure transportation of hazardous or environmentally sensitive products, they said.