2/14/2012 Supplier Spotlight

Railroading Supplier Spotlight Article
Updates from Alstom, Louisville Railcar, RailComm and HandsOn

• An Alstom/Cofely Besix Facility Management consortium obtained a 13-year maintenance contract from the government of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority for the Al Sufouh tramway. The contract’s total value is $158 million; Alstom’s share is valued at $89.7 million, according to an Alstom press release. The contract covers the maintenance of rolling stock and fixed installations for the first phase of the Dubai tramway project.

• Yesterday, Louisville Railcar broke ground on a $1.3 million rail-car repair facility near a transload center in Louisville, Miss. The project, which will include repair, paint and welding facilities, will create 30 new jobs, Louisville Railcar officials said in a prepared statement. The facility will be built on a site formerly owned by Richton Tie and Timber Co. The city of Louisville purchased the property last year to create the transload facility so area industries could load and unload goods transported by Kansas City Southern.

• RailComm has been selected to provide a wireless remote control derail system for Indiana Rail Road Co.’s facility in Jasonville, Ind. The power derails will be remotely controlled by two control panels located at each end of the shop. The panels will feature LED indicators to show the current position of the derail device and push buttons to apply and remove the derails. RailComm’s 2.4 GHz Spread Spectrum RADiANT™ data radios will be used to establish wireless communications networks to link the derail and control panel locations.

• Judi Meyerhoeffer, whose resumé includes a long-time stint as executive director of the Railway Engineering Maintenance Suppliers Association, has formed HandsOn Meetings and Events L.L.C. The company, which has expertise in all areas of event planning and execution, will provide exhibition management and production services, Meyerhoeffer said.