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BMT Group Ltd.'s BMT Fleet Technology and BMT Reliability Consultants recently completed a condition-based maintenance (CBM) study for VIA Rail Canada Inc. BMT presented its final CBM project to VIA Rail, which included recommendations to help the railroad improve the performance and availability of its rolling stock fleet while reducing costs. The project focused on VIA Rail's newly refurbished fleet of GPA-30H locomotives.

In 2013, the Vossloh Group expects a slight growth in sales and an operating result that's "substantially" at 2012's level, company officials said in a prepared statement. Conditions are expected to become increasingly tough for both the rail infrastructure and transportation divisions, they said. Competitive pressure is likely to remain high throughout the business units. Within the rail infrastructure division next year, there likely will be a continued weakness in demand for rail welding services, Vossloh officials said. For 2012, the company predicts group sales of about $1.6 billion, which would represent a rise from 2011's $1.56 billion.

Axion International Holdings Inc. reported that third-quarter revenue grew 14 percent to $800,007 compared with the same quarter a year ago. A loss from operations narrowed to $1.25 million compared with $1.4 million in the year-ago period. "Our revenues are up and our losses have narrowed, while we increased investments in product quality, sales, marketing and manufacturing," President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Silverman said in a prepared statement. Also during the quarter, the company sold products to six new customers and additional products to six existing customers. In addition, ECOTRAX™ composite plastic ties are undergoing track testing or purchase approval in Australia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and Europe on both passenger and freight lines, Axion officials said.

Queensland Rail announced it will roll out free Wi-Fi on its trains and closed-circuit TV for improved security and customer service. To date, about two-thirds of its commuter trains have been equipped with the new technology, which was supplied by Nomad Digital Pty. Ltd. The broadband service was set up initially to improve passenger safety with the ability to stream live video in the event of an accident. But positive feedback from riders about the ability to access the Internet while traveling led to the increase in demand for the service, Queensland Rail officials said in press release.

Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese visited MERMEC's headquarters in Monopoli, Italy, on Nov. 16, MERMEC Group officials announced. The visit was an opportunity to brief the minister on the latest developments in rail diagnostic technologies, as well as on the automatic protection of train movements and on the forthcoming opening of an Australian-based branch of the group, officials said in a press release.