Rail supplier news from Union Tank Car, Voith, RGCX and ENSCO (June 22)

Union Tank Car Co. (UTLX) this summer will begin a project to expand its rail-car repair facility in El Dorado, Kansas. The expanded plant's capabilities, which will include exterior blast and paint operations, will enable the company to service a broader spectrum of cars from customers' fleets, UTLX officials said in a press release. Built in the early 1960s, the 40-acre plant is next to BNSF Railway Co. track and services tank cars in ethanol service, as well as hopper cars moving grain and other food-grade products. Over the next few years, the company plans to hire about 70 new employees at the expanded facility. The project is slated to wrap up in early 2019.

Siemens AG and Voith Turbo GmbH & Co. KG last month signed an agreement to develop a condition monitoring solution for the Voith Scharfenberg coupler. Voith will develop the solution, while Siemens will integrate the application into its Railigent platform, which is based on its MindSphere Internet of Things operating system. Railigent offers a range of digital services to manage rail assets, including apps for smart monitoring, data analysis and smart prediction for rolling stock, signaling and other rail infrastructure. Voith's new solution will monitor the coupler's deformation tube and damper, company officials said in a press release. The companies plan to hold a joint presentation of the preliminary solution at InnoTrans 2018, which will be held Sept. 18-21 in Berlin.

Corrum Capital has acquired rail-car leasing company RGCX LLC. The transaction is expected to give RGCX greater resources and flexibility in the rail-car market, and enable the company to pursue long-term growth, RGCX officials said in a press release. Financial terms were not disclosed.

ENSCO Inc. has promoted Denise Perry to vice president of human resources, effective July 2. Since May 2017, she has served as division manager of human resources. Since joining the company in 2000, Perry has held HR-related roles, including deputy manager of the HR division. She has 18 years of human resources experience. Before joining ENSCO, she worked with Gannett in Rosslyn, Virginia.