Rail supplier news from Iteris, HNTB, Nokia, Alstom, LTK and Penn Machine (Dec. 13)

Iteris Inc. was awarded a $2 million subcontract by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) to provide traffic operations analysis and traffic engineering design services for a new light-rail system in LA County. Iteris will provide design services for the light-rail system at more than 60 signalized intersections as part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Project, Iteris officials said in a press release.

HNTB Corp. hired Kimberly Proia as project director and vice president, and Debbie Gies as senior project manager for program management. Proia will serve as deputy project manager for Sound Transit’s West Seattle and Ballard Link light-rail extension project. Proia has 25 years of experience managing U.S. transit-rail projects, HNTB officials said in a press release. Meanwhile, Gies will work with transit agencies on project management, operations coordination, construction staging logistics and public outreach. She has 27 years of experience. Previously, she worked for another transportation consulting firm and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as deputy director of light-rail operations.

Deutsche Bahn awarded Nokia a contract to test and deliver a standalone 5G-based network for the automated S-Bahn rail operation in Hamburg, Germany, by 2021. The proof-of-concept project will test whether 5G technology is mature enough to be used as the connectivity layer for future digitized rail operations, Nokia officials said in a press release.

Alstom signed a $893 million contract with the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia to design, manufacture, test and maintain the next generation of C-series trains for Perth’s rail network. The trains will be delivered over seven years starting in 2022. The contract also includes options for 30 more trains and up to 10 years of additional maintenance. Alstom also will supply 20 additional Citadis trams to Angers Loire Metropole in Angers, France. The $61.4 million order is in addition to 17 trams that entered commercial service in 2011. The new trams will be delivered beginning in 2021, Alstom officials said in a press release.

LTK Engineering Services named Dee Leggett director of zero-emissions planning. Leggett will lead efforts to support clients transitioning to zero-emissions vehicles. She has 20 years of experience with expertise in rail and bus operations, business growth and development, project management, transportation operations and maintenance and capital planning, LTK officials said in a press release. Previously, she served as chief operations officer at Bowman Engineering & Consulting, vice president at First Transit Inc., chief operating officer of the Denton County Transportation Authority, and a senior consultant for LTK.

Penn Machine was recognized as a top rail service provider by Commtrex in its Rail Services Directory. The list is complied based on user engagements in the directory and in Commtrex’s rail-car storage marketplace. The company has been selected for two consecutive years, Penn Machine officials said in a press release.