Rail supplier news from Wabtec, Keolis, LocoTech and Travero (March 22)

Wabtec Corp. secured an order to supply Siemens Mobility with several products for the London Underground's Piccadilly Upgrade program. Valued at more than $70 million, the contract calls for the supply of brakes, air conditioning and ventilation systems, passenger information systems and third-rail current collectors. Wabtec will supply the components for 94 trains as an initial order.

Keolis has won a contract, valued at 125 million euros, to operate the Dubai Roads & Transport Authority's driverless metro and tram system. The contract is for nine years, with a possible six-year extension. Keolis will be the lead partner in a joint venture, which will include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering and Mitsubishi Corp. The new contract will take effect in September.

LocoTech-Signal LLC has opened a new research laboratory in Moscow to test the interlocking system (HMR9) developed by Italian company ECM S.p.A., a subsidiary of Progress Rail, for application in the Eurasia market. Creation of the laboratory aligns with LocoTech-Signal's strategy to adapt ECM's HMR9 computer-based interlocking system to the conditions of the 1520 gauge, according to a Progress Rail press release.

Travero, the logistics solutions subsidiary of Alliant Energy and parent company of CRANDIC Rail, announced that Kevin Burke will retire as president on April 1. He will be succeeded by Lisha Coffey, who most recently has been the company's chief operating officer. Burke began his career at the company in 1981 as a clerk for the CRANDIC Railway. He served as superintendent at CRANDIC and COO before becoming president in 2007. Coffey joined Alliant Energy in 2002 as a communications program manager. She moved into director roles in compliance, sales and economic development. She then served as regional director of operations before being named COO of Alliant Energy Transportation in 2014.