Rail supplier news from Stacy Witbeck, Miner, Hitachi Rail and LRW (July 2)

Stacy Witbeck has obtained a $21.7 million contract to start construction of the Pier B on-dock rail support facility at the Port of Long Beach, California. The project is part of the Pier B Rail Yard East expansion project, which involves constructing a new retaining wall along the Long Beach (710) Freeway and realigning the east end of the yard to relocate a Los Angeles County flood-control pump station. Construction is slated to begin this summer, with completion expected  in 2026. The Pier B on-dock rail-support facility is the largest component of the Port’s 10-year capital program.

Miner Enterprises Inc. is celebrating 40 years of maintenance-of-way rapid-discharge solutions with its AggreGate® line of ballast outlet gates, control systems and accessories. Miner’s newest model is the solar-powered stand-alone electric AggreGate, which enables independent operation of every car from anywhere within the ballast train, company officials said in a press release. More than 7,200 carsets of Miner AggreGates have been sold into service since it first received Association of American Railroads certification more than four decades ago, they said.

Hitachi Rail recently marked the first anniversary of passenger-rail service on Honolulu’s Skyline. Since opening the the initial 11-mile phase, Skyline — the nation’s first fully autonomous metro system — has transformed urban mobility in Honolulu. Following the start of revenue service on the first segment, substantial progress is being made on building the second segment, and it is set to initiate passenger service in late 2025, according to a Hitachi Rail press release. Hitachi Rail has provided initial testing, commissioning, system launch and ongoing operations to the system.

The League of Railway Women has extended to July 5 the deadline for applications to its annual scholarship program. The LRW’s scholarships are the Sue Black Memorial, launched this year and sponsored by The Greenbrier Cos.; Connie Sumara Memorial; and the Future of Railroading. More information is available here.