Rail supplier news from Railway Interchange, Siemens, Armor Group, Nomad, Airblast, L.B. Foster, Jacobs and Auto Truck (Aug. 7)

More than 640 exhibitors have signed up for booth space at Railway Interchange 2013, which will be held Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. The exhibition will showcase technology, services and research by members of the Railway Supply Institute, Railway Engineering Maintenance Suppliers Association and Railway Systems Suppliers Inc. Also featured at the event: technical presentations and discussions by the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association and the Coordinated Mechanical Associations. About 7,000 attendees are expected to attend the conference, according to Railway Interchange 2013 organizers.

Siemens has begun constructing a 4.6-mile extension of Delhi Metro's Gurgaon line as a turnkey rail system in India. As part of the project, Siemens obtained a $93 million order from Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Rail Ltd. for rolling stock and the electrification and signaling systems. In addition, Siemens will be responsible for the system integration and delivering seven aluminum-bodied metro trains.

The Armor Group Inc. has acquired the assets of PQ Shelters Inc., which formerly was known as Precision Quincy Shelters. The company will continue to operate as PQ Shelters. The acquisition further strengthens Armor's position as a leader in fabricated shelter and enclosure products, and provides an opportunity for PQ Shelters to significantly increase market share in the rail, transit, utility and telecommunications segments, said PQ Shelters President Frank Ferguson in a press release. Armor plans to grow the business by expanding into additional markets and utilizing a shared-services model for increased operating efficiencies.

Nomad Digital has completed a Wi-Fi installation for VIA Rail Canada Inc.'s long-haul train known as Ocean. Available to riders on the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, the Wi-Fi system is part of a five-year $6.3 million contract under which Nomad will design, install, operate and maintain VIA Rail's Wi-Fi infrastructure.

Airblast AFC, a joint venture between Airblast Ltd. and AFC Finishing Systems, has completed work on a $1.4 million project for a large rail group that sells, manages and leases a fleet of 23,000 freight cars and locomotives. The new facility includes blast, paint and drying booths for car maintenance. An Airflex Recovery Floor was installed for automatic recovery of abrasive materials throughout the blast booths.

L.B. Foster Co. reported second-quarter net income of $7.3 million, or 72 cents per share, compared with a $2 million loss, or 33 cents per share, during the same quarter a year ago. Net sales fell 8 percent to $149.9 million from $163.2 million a year ago, primarily due to a 10.3 percent decline in rail segment sales and 8.7 percent reduction in construction segment sales. Net sales were partially offset by a 10 percent increase in tubular segment sales. The rail segment decrease was due to lower sales in the concrete tie and rail technology businesses, partially offset by stronger sales in the transit products division, according to a press release.

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has obtained a contract from Qatar Railways Co. to provide project management consultancy services for the Red Line of the Doha Metro project. The contract value was undisclosed, but officials noted the Doha Metro project is estimated to cost $36 billion.

Auto Truck Group has opened a new 28,343-square-foot facility in Mississauga, Ontario. The facility features three acres of onsite, paved parking, as well as tools and equipment to support the design, manufacture and installation of truck equipment for a variety of customers, according to a company press release.