Rail supplier news from Lilee and Alstom, GE, ARINC, Mitsubishi, Siemens, Emerson Bearing and A&K (Oct. 1)

Yesterday, Lilee Systems and Alstom announced their new jointly developed communications management technology will become the backbone of Alstom's positive train control (PTC) system. The CMU-2000 family of communications manager units (CMUs) is designed to enhance the safety and performance of passenger-rail service by enabling fast, reliable transmission of PTC data signals and commands, according to the companies' jointly issued press release.

GE Transportation exhibited its new Evolution Series Advance Power 4 locomotive engine at the Railway Interchange 2013 conference, being held Sept. 29-Oct. 2, in Indianapolis. The locomotive meets the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 4 emission standards without the use of any type of after-treatment, according to a GE press release. The engine is designed to decrease emissions by more than 70 percent and is expected to save railroad customers more than $1.5 billion in infrastructure and operational costs, the company said. GE started field testing a Tier 4-compliant locomotive along 100 miles of track through western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio in 2005. Additional field testing will occur in the near future, company officials said.

ARINC Inc. is developing a positive train control-hosted network service prototype for the exchange of PTC messages between the four largest U.S. Class I freight railroads and some smaller railroads, according to a company press release. The network is being designed to support railroads' efforts to implement PTC technology by December 2015, company officials said in a press release. ARINC's proof of concept will extend its fully connected PTC network to smaller railroads covered by the federal PTC mandate.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Inc. has obtained an order from the Miami-Dade Aviation Department for four additional cars and to implement a guideway crossover for the MIA Mover automated people mover system. The 1.25-mile system, which opened in September, runs between Miami International Airport terminals and the Miami Intermodal Center.

Siemens' new Inspiro metro trains have been certified to operate in Warsaw, Poland. In February 2011, operator Metro Warszawskie Sp. z o.o. ordered 35 six-car trains from a consortium of Siemens and the Polish rolling stock manufacturer Newag. The order was the largest Siemens received from Poland and was the first order for complete Inspiro trains, the new metro generation from Siemens, according to a company press release.

Emerson Bearing is now supplying bearings and related products to the railroad and transportation industry. The new rail division is divided into three major groups: bearings for drive systems (transmission, traction drive, axle suspension), bearings for the chassis (wheel sets, brakes) and bearings or vehicle bodies (connectors and door systems), according to a company press release. Joe Falvey has been named Emerson's bearing market specialist responsible for the rail and transportation industry division.

A&K Railroad Materials Inc. has promoted Jorge Castro to international sales manager. Castro, who has worked for the company for the past four years, will be based in Houston.