Rail supplier news from Wabtec, moovel, Alstom, Loram and Triangle Fluid Controls (May 10)

Wabtec Corp. completed the acquisitions of Unitrac Railroad Materials Inc. and Pride Bodies Ltd., which provide a variety of track-related products and services. The companies have combined annual sales of $45 million. Based in Tennessee, Unitrac is a designer and manufacturer of railroad track products, while Ontario-based Pride Bodies equips rail and utility vehicles with custom rail gear, cranes, air systems and lighting. The firms are a "good strategic fit" for Wabtec as it seeks to expand its presence in the rail infrastructure market, said President and Chief Executive Officer Raymond Betler in a press release.

moovel North America LLC last week announced the public launch and first pilot of RideTap, a software development kit that provides any mobile app instant access to a growing network of public and alternative transportation providers. The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, for instance, is using RideTap on its mobile ticketing app to connect public transit riders to additional transportation options, such as Lyft or car2go. The pilot eventually will include other local transportation options such as bike-share and taxi.

Alstom will supply five additional X'Trapolis trainsets for the suburban rail network in Melbourne, Australia. The six-car sets will further enhance the network's capacity while increasing the entire system's reliability, Alstom officials said in a press release. The new trainsets follow the order for five trains placed by Public Transport Victoria in June 2015. Those units are currently in production at Alstom's manufacturing plant in Ballarat, Victoria.

Loram Maintenance of Way Inc. has appointed Katie Hadenfeldt vice president of sales and marketing. She is responsible for contract services sales and marketing, as well as all existing and new product development initiatives. Before joining Loram, Hadenfeldt spent more than eight years with GATX Corp. and seven years in marketing and sales positions with Union Pacific Railroad.

Triangle Fluid Controls Ltd. (TFC) appointed Mike Shorts president, effective May 4. He previously served as vice president and general manager. Shorts has created and executed a detailed strategic plan that has continued to "significantly exceed expectations" on both sales and profitability, TFC officials said in a press release. Under his leadership, the company in January announced an expansion of its global headquarters.