Rail supplier updates from RailComm, BBM Railway, Thales, VTG, Kuehne + Nagel, American Railcar and Parsons Brinckerhoff (April 26)

RailComm has provided a yard control system and remote control blue flag protection for a yard in Alliance, Neb. The yard now is able to  wirelessly control 65 switches, five derails and blue flag protection on 23 tracks using RailComm's Domain Operations Controller (DOC®) system, RailComm's RADiANT data radios, universal switch machine/blue flag controller and indicators.

BBM Railway Equipment L.L.C., a joint venture between Taylor-Winfield Technologies and BBM of Italy, has obtained a contract to design and build a 500-ton, double-cylinder wheel press for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The press will be used to assemble and disassemble the wheels, bearings and gearboxes from the axles in operation throughout WMATA's rail system.

Thales has obtained a contract from Delhi Metro Rail Corp. Ltd. to design, integrate and install an advanced passenger-information system for Metro Line 6 extensions in India, part of Delhi Metro's Phase 3 expansion program. Thales' project will cover 16 stations over three sections of the line, which is scheduled to be commissioned in February 2015.

Rail-car hire company VTG Aktiengesellschaft and global logistics company Kuehne + Nagel announced they signed a letter of intent to merge parts of their rail logistics activities. The merger represents an expansion of a long-term partnership between the two companies within the scope of their joint venture company, Transpetrol, for more than 20 years. Final contracts for the merger are subject to approvals from corporate boards and antitrust authorities. A decision is expected in the year's second half, according to a joint press release.

American Railcar Industries Inc. (ARI) reported that first-quarter net earnings rose to $17.9 million, or 84 cents per basic and diluted share, from $12 million, or 56 cents per share, in first-quarter 2012. Revenue increased to $195 million from $182.6 million in the year-ago period. The strong quarter was driven by shipments of tank cars, "which provided us with a favorable sales mix and good earnings," said President and Chief Executive Officer James Cowan in a press release. ARI's backlog as of March 31 was 6,400 rail cars, including 2,080 cars for lease. As of Dec. 31, 2012, ARI's backlog stood at 7,060 cars, including 1,810 for lease.

Parsons Brinckerhoff named Sharon Humphreys a senior supervising engineer in San Diego, where she will manage several local projects, including design elements for a segment of the Mid-Coast Corridor transit project and design support during construction of a San Ysidro, Calif., freight-rail yard improvement project. She has more than 20 years of experience managing civil engineering design for transportation projects.