Rail supplier news from Omni Transloading, Stadler, Duos, AITX, Caltrax, Glid and IntelliTrans (July 20)

Omni Transloading and Logistics Inc. (Omni T&L) announced the formation of Omni Bulk Services Inc., a subsidiary that will serve marine, rail and truck transloading of bulk chemicals, food and gases. The new company’s executive team includes President and CEO Brian Nowak, Omni T&L President and Founder Arturo Sanchez and Omni T&L Vice President Operations James Ridgely. Omni Bulk has relationships with Class Is and short lines and plans to expand its service offerings to Mexico, company officials said in a press release. Additionally, Omni Bulk will offer above-ground storage and third-party logistics services.

Stadler was awarded two contracts by Italian railway operators Azienda Regionale Sarda Trasporti and Ferrovie della Calabria to deliver and maintain 25 hydrogen-powered trains. The agreements make Stadler the world’s first train manufacturer to supply narrow-gauge trains with hydrogen propulsion, according to a company press release. To be built at Stadler’s headquarters in Bussnang, Switzerland, the trains will be dedicated to regional and suburban services for the 950-mm narrow-gauge network in Sardinia and Calabria. Financial terms of the contracts were undisclosed.

Duos Technologies Inc. appointed rail industry veteran Frank Lonegro to its board of directors. Lonegro has led a 30-year career spanning leadership roles in finance, law, technology and operations and worked at CSX for nearly 20 years, eventually serving as the Class I’s chief financial officer. Most recently, Lonegro most recently served as CFO of Beacon Roofing Supply. He succeeds Ed Harris, who served on the board until November 2022.

AITX promoted Larry Hickman to chief information officer. He joined the company in July 2022 as vice president of information technology with more than 20 years of experience in the technology and administration fields. Hickman will oversee all aspects of the company’s IT systems and data platforms.

Caltrax is collaborating with Cando Rail to provide large industrial customers with on-site rail-car cleaning and repair services. The work is completed at Sturgeon Terminal in Alberta, which is served by CN. Caltrax provides full-service independent rail-car repair for all types of cars.

Genesis Electronics Group Inc. subsidiary Glid announced a new agreement with Sensored Technologies Inc. to develop the first NFC-enabled cargo theft locking solution called CargoSecure, which will consist of the web-based CargoSecure software platform, mobile app and CS1 hardware. CargoSecure requires no cables, wires or batteries, making it ideal for truck trailers and containers on the move and in the field, company officials said in a press release.

IntelliTrans and Nexxiot announced a partnership to equip freight-rail transportation management and visibility platforms with real-time asset-level monitoring equipment. The partnership is expected to deliver real-time network insights, location monitoring and other IoT-sensing data that reduces risk and improves safety, according to a joint press release. IntelliTrans will connect data from Nexxiot sensors on rail cars to help its customers extend their visibility data to avoid risk. Nexxiot’s IoT sensors monitor the cars’ handbrakes, hatches and doors and connect wirelessly to Nexxiot’s Globehopper gateway.