Rail supplier news from Trinity, Altech, Peerless, Quandel, Modjeski and Masters, and Alstom (Dec. 21)

Trinity Industries Inc. announced  Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer James Perry will step down at year's end to pursue other opportunities. He will remain the CFO until Trinity files its annual report by Dec. 31. Trinity also announced that Melendy Lovett will assume the role of SVP and CFO. She currently is SVP and chief administrative officer, and oversees the company's rail-car leasing business. Prior to joining Trinity, Lovett had a 20-year career with Texas Instruments, lastly as SVP and president of its education technology business. In addition, VP and Chief Information Officer Relle Howard will assume the CAO role. He joined the company in 2016 and previously was VP of information technology for Flowserve Corp.

Altech Corp. and Peerless Electronics Inc. have forged a new distribution agreement to create a seamless channel aimed at benefitting engineers, procurement managers and buyers of industrial control, instrumentation, medical and automation components and devices. Altech's line includes hundreds of products in more than 25 areas ranging from circuit protection to power devices to enclosures and connectors; Peerless distributes electromechanical and passive devices. "By partnering with a highly respected industry leader like Altech Corp., we expect to see expansion in numerous domestic and international markets," said Peerless Electronics President Bill Gallucci in a press release.

Rail and transit engineering firm Quandel Consultants has opened an office in Washington, D.C. The new office will be led by Sandy Bushue, the former acting and deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration. She has more than 25 years' experience in entrepreneurship, business development and government affairs, and will help the firm identify national business development opportunities and form strategic management initiatives, Quandel officials said in a press release. Bushue previously served as deputy director of the Congressional National Commission on Intermodal Transportation.

Modjeski and Masters has opened a new office in Austin, Texas — the firm's first in the state and 12th nationwide. Modjeski and Masters hired John Holt to lead the Austin office, where he will be responsible for managing operations in Texas and the surrounding region. Holt previously served as a bridge engineer on a variety of projects, including new and replacement bridge projects for rail, highway and pedestrian usage. He served the Texas Department of Transportation’s bridge division for 30 years before retiring as a design section director. Modjeski and Masters provides bridge design, inspection and rehabilitation services.

Alstom obtained a contract from Bayerische Oberlandbahn GmbH in Bavaria to supply 25 Coradia Lint regional trains. The trains will operate in the Bavarian Oberland, located in upper Bavaria, beginning in summer 2020. The Coradia Lint trainsets will be built at Alstom's Salzgitter, Lower Saxony, plant. Alstom also won a contract to supply 34 regional high-capacity double-deck trains to CFL in Luxembourg. The company will begin delivering the trains in December 2021. The trains will be designed to reach a maximum speed of 99 mph on the national network, and in Belgium and France.