Rail supplier news from Trinity, Alstom, Thales, AXION, Transplace and Hatch Mott MacDonald (May 13)

Trinity Industries Inc. announced that a subsidiary of TRIP Rail Holdings L.L.C. (TRIP) acquired a $388 million portfolio of existing leased rail cars from Trinity Industries Leasing Co. (TILC). The portfolio purchase was capitalized by a $336 million asset-backed securitization, with the remainder of the purchase price provided in the form of equity contributed by the co-owners of TRIP, a partially-owned subsidiary in which TILC owns a 42 percent interest. The remaining 58 percent of TRIP is owned by Napier Park Railcar Lease Fund L.L.C. and an additional co-investor.

Alstom obtained a contract to supply 50 KZ8A freight locomotives to Azerbaijan Railways (ADDY) that will be assembled in Alstom's JV EKZ between 2016 and 2018. The total amount of the contract is $412.7 million. Alstom’s share amounts to around $206 million. The contract also may include construction of a depot, technical assistance and maintenance, as well as training for ADDY staff.

Thales, in collaboration with local partner T'Trans, will provide Companhia do Metropolitano de Sao Paulo with telecommunications systems for the Sao Paolo monorail's Line 17, which will connect Congonhas International Airport to the metro rail network. Thales' integrated telecommunications systems for Line 17 comprise master clock, passenger information and CCTV systems, as well as transmission and telephony subsystems. Project implementation is expected to take 22 months. Also, the monorail is being equipped with Thales' Seltrac® communcations-based train control system and will be equipped with an integrated solution, including signaling, telecommunications and security.

AXION International Holdings Inc. has received a purchase order for ECOTRAX® rail ties to be shipped to a transit system in Moscow, the company's second order from the customer. The order for 1,000 ties is the third purchase order from Russia and was sold to AXION's in-country distributor and business partner, TVEMA. AXION has been working with TVEMA for the past two years to introduce composite ties in Russia.

Transportation management services and logistics technology provider Transplace announced that Celtic International has expanded its cross-border and intra-Mexico intermodal capabilities. The expansion provides Transplace and Celtic with a more comprehensive U.S.-Mexico service offering, enabling customers to better use intermodal services in and out of Mexico, according to a press release.

Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) was the construction manager for a recently completed, 157,000-square-foot maintenance facility in Stockton, Calif., for the Altamont Corridor Express. Also, HMM recently rose five places in the Engineering News-Record Top 500 list, from No. 36 in 2013 to No. 31 in 2014. HMM also is ranked No. 14 in the transportation category, up from No. 15.