Rail supplier news from RR Mergers, Alstom, AMPS and Network Rail Consulting (March 22)

RR Mergers & Acquisitions announced the sale of AV Rail Contracting to Allied Track Services. Based in British Columbia, AV Rail Contracting is a specialty rail contractor with expertise in high rail crane services, rail communication and signal contracting, while Allied Track Services provides rail maintenance of way services. The acquisition continues the latter company's expansion into western Canada.

Alstom late last week concluded its first "hackathon" aimed at developing applications for transit systems of the future. Based in France, the event challenged teams of student coders to come up with a suggestion for "connected mobility that revolutionizes passenger experience," Alstom officials said in a press release. The 95 students who participated in the competition presented their ideas via prototypes based on mobile applications, services, the Internet of Things or by creating an application programming interface. The teams had 48 hours to develop their ideas.

Alternative Motive Power Systems LLC (AMPS) has appointed Daniel Willis vice president of sales and marketing. His will focus on promoting the company's modular GenSet Hybrid switching locomotive. In addition, he'll market AMPS' locomotive repower kits for GE Industrial Switchers, as well as the company's configurable 70-ton industrial switcher, which is slated to come out in second-quarter 2017. Willis previously served in the Marine Corps infantry and spent four years in equity sales on Wall Street.

Former Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Downs has been appointed chair of Network Rail Consulting Inc., a wholly owned international consultancy arm of Great Britain's Network Rail. He has more than 30 years of rail industry experience, including four years as a member of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's board.