Rail supplier news from Wabtec, Bombardier, Associated Rail, Nomad, Chicago Freight Car and Maser (Oct. 5)

Wabtec Corp. has received conditional clearance from the European Commission for its proposed acquisition of Faiveley Transport S.A. The approval is conditional based a commitment to divest Faiveley Transport Gennevilliers (FTG), the sintered brake material unit of Faiveley. The acquisition also remains subject to the approval of FTG's buyer, as well as regulatory clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a Wabtec press release. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter.

Bombardier Transportation has signed a $23 million, eight-year contract to provide maintenance services for Metrolink's commuter-rail fleet. The contract takes effect Jan. 1, 2017, although Bombardier has been providing maintenance services for the Southern California commuter railroad under previous contracts since 1998. The company's responsibilities include ensuring the availability and reliability of Metrolink's locomotive and passenger cars, including the Bombardier bilevel coaches.

ABC Tie Tech International LLC President Tony Chambers has launched a new business to supply a limited group of steel products for maintenance and track construction. Associated Rail Products LLC will sell U.S.-made steel joint, compromise and spice bars, rail clips and other associated rail products used to build and maintain overhead cranes and track structures. Based in Maryville, Tenn., the new venture is affiliated with ABC Tie Tech International, which provides tie sales and consulting services.

Nomad Digital has extended its agreement to provide service management of passenger Wi-Fi and CCTV for Australia's Queensland Rail. Under the new pact, Nomad will provide the services for an additional three years. The extension includes around-the-clock maintenance of Queensland Rail's on-board equipment.

Chicago Freight Car Leasing Co. has hired Josh Chesser as vice president of sales and customer support. He has more than 22 years of rail-car industry experience and previously served as VP of sales and marketing services at Salco Products Inc. In that role, Chesser was responsible for global sales, marketing, brand awareness and customer satisfaction. He began his Salco career in operations.

Maser Consulting P.A. has hired Francis Miller III to lead its rail engineering services division. He previously served as chief track engineer and director of high-speed rail for Jacobs Engineering Group. Miller also is the current director of the passenger and transit functional group for the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association. He has more than three decades of experience in the planning, design, construction, inspection and project management of major railway, track and facility engineering projects, Maser officials said in a press release. Miller specializes in transit and railway engineering, and his major undertakings include major rehabilitation, design-build and new start projects for U.S. mass transit systems.