Rail supplier news from United Rail, Siyata, Alstom, Orgo-Thermit and HNTB (Sept. 8)

United Rail Inc. announced BBR Rail Automation GmbH obtained a contract from Bombardier Transportation to supply signaling and communications for the Edmonton Valley Line in Edmonton, Alberta. The new line consists of 8 miles of double track and 12 platforms. United Rail will support the project from its facilities in Jacksonville, Fla., as well as its Canadian representation in Toronto and on site. The project is financed through a public-private partnership arrangement. In January, United Rail forged a partnership with BBR Rail Automation to represent and support its products and services in the North American freight- and passenger-rail markets.

Siyata Mobile Inc. has received an order for its Truckfone devices and accessories from a Canadian railroad. The Truckfones will replace the currently installed 2G-operated Motorola M800s on the railroad's locomotive fleet. Hundreds of thousands of Motorola M800 devices are installed in commercial vehicles globally that will need to be replaced over the next several years as cellular operators terminate service of the 2G networks these devices operate on, Siyata officials said in a press release. The company's connected vehicle devices offer a "clearer signal and broader range even in remote areas or loud environments," Siyata officials added, noting that the Truckfone and Voyager devices are the world's first 3G connected-vehicle devices.

Alstom and French rail operator SNCF have launched an "innovation partnership" to create the next generation of high-speed trains for France. The SNCF-Alstom partnership will design and produce the new TGV with planned entry into commercial service in 2022, officials said in a joint press release. The goal of the new design is to reduce acquisition and operating costs by 20 percent, reduce energy consumption by at least 25 percent and increase passenger capacity by 20 percent. An integrated multidisciplinary team of 20 experts from SNCF and Alstom is working on the project at a site in Paris, officials said.

Orgo-Thermit Inc. has appointed Christopher Booth vice president and chief operating officer. He has held leadership roles for more than 25 years at different international and multinational companies in the United States. In addition, he has many years of experience in sales, leadership and managing the operative business for mid-sized companies, Orgo-Thermit officials said in a press release. Working with Chief Executive Officer Dave Randolph, Booth will help lead the company into the future as a supplier of both traditional and innovative technologies and services for the railroad construction and maintenance industries, Orgo-Thermit officials added.

HNTB Corp. has hired Joseph Rago as senior project manager and associate vice president in the firm's Northeast division rail and transit practice. Most recently, Rago served as deputy chief engineer of capital construction for Amtrak, where he managed multiple programs. He's also a member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.