Rail supplier news from TUV, Alstom, AXION, RailTerm, Parsons Brinckerhoff and JMA Railroad (March 7)

TUV Rheinland has acquired Risktec Solutions Ltd., which is headquartered in Warrington, U.K. Risktec provides risk and safety services, and offers technical training and education to industrial sectors. Risktec's core industries include oil and gas, nuclear power generation and rail. The acquisition enables TUV Rheinland to help clients in demonstrating compliance with increasingly stringent international legislation and industry standards, according to a company press release.

Alstom obtained a $304.6 million contract from Metro S.A., operator of the Santiago Metro in Chile, for full modernization of the Santiago metro network. The modernization will be completed by mid-2018. Also, Alstom delivered to Chennai Metro Rail Limited the first two metro sets of Chennai's future metro system in India. They are part of a $336.5 million order representing 42 Metropolis trainsets to be delivered by 2015. In addition, 10 of Alstom's Citadis Dualis tram-trains have entered service on the Nantes-Chateaubriant line in France.

AXION International Holdings Inc. has appointed Claude Brown Jr. chief operating and technology officer. In his new role, Brown will manage and advance the operations of all AXION product lines and oversee the company's production engineering, technology development, product commercialization and innovation partnerships. Brown previously served as president of Eovations L.L.C., a new business venture focused on the development, production and launch of an innovative structural polymer technology. He also served stints at Dow Chemical Co., Alcoa and CertainTeed Corp.

RailTerm announced all track, signal and right-of-way maintenance activities have merged under the Engineering and Business unit, under the leadership of Vice President of Engineering and Maintenance Aaron Branston. The firm also announced other organizational changes, including: Vice President Systems Jason Fries will focus on the expansion of systems and software project groups; Robert Pershick has been appointed director of operations, Eastern Ontario; Maxime Picard joined the firm as manager of safety and signal maintenance; Ryan Lemenchick has been named manager of safety and maintenance planning; and Kevin Garson has been appointed manager of systems construction.

Parsons Brinckerhoff has named Mark Yalung Arizona area manager. In his new position, Yalung will manage the Tempe and Tucson offices, which provide expertise in the development of infrastructure projects. Yalung has 27 years of transportation engineering design and project management experience in the public and private sectors. He has served Parsons Brinckerhoff for more than 15 years, currently as an assistant vice president and project manager.

USSC Seating has selected JMA Railroad Supply Co. to represent its line of operator seats and ancillary seating products to the Class I market. USSC Seating began working with JMA in 2012 to represent seating products to the short-line market.