Rail supplier news from Alstom, Integral dx, TransmetriQ, Progress Rail and Vossloh

Alstom announced that 76 of its Flexity^™ light-rail trainsets entered service Feb. 8 on Metrolinx's new Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown extension in Toronto. The company will provide maintenance for the fleet, which was manufactured and tested in Canada. Alstom also supplied the communications-based train control signaling system for the extension, Alstom officials said in a press release. The extension runs 12 miles along Eglinton Avenue and has 25 stations.

Integral dx has delivered its third switching locomotive to the U.S. military. The U.S. Air Force commissioned an Integral dx Model SWR18 rear cab, 1,800 horsepower switching locomotive at its Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina. The locomotive will be used to stage cars in the rail yard that serves the base, Integral dx officials said in a press release. The locomotive was fabricated and assembled at Integral dx's facility in Granite Falls, Minnesota. The locomotive manufacturer delivered sister switching locomotives to the U.S. Army in November 2025 and the Navy in March 2025. 

TransmetriQ, a Railinc brand, has launched a vehicle identification number (VIN) tracking system designed to enable automotive manufacturers and dealers to track finished vehicles as they move by rail from North American manufacturing plants to distribution terminals and dealers. Manufacturers and dealers previously relied on rail-car tracking data from railroads and manually tracked which VINs were on each rail car, TransmetriQ officials said in a press release. VIN tracking enables users to search and trace VINs in real time without needing to identify the rail car or the railroad carrying the vehicle. Users can trace up to 1,000 VINs at a time across more than 600 North American railroads. "Early users report that VIN-level tracking has significantly reduced the time spent responding to dealer inquiries and investigating stalled or delayed shipments," said TransmetriQ officials.

Progress Rail has delivered eight new EMD SD70ACe-BB locomotives to VLI, a Brazilian logistics solutions company and operator of Centro-Atlantica Railway. The locomotives will be used for freight movement in Brazil, Progress Rail officials said in a press release. The units feature AC traction systems, improved adhesion control and optimized fuel efficiency. Progress Rail also recently signed a 10-year maintenance services agreement for VLI's northern corridor, which connects the state of Tocantins to the port system in the city of Sao Luis. The agreement marks Progress Rail's first long-term maintenance agreement in South America. Financial terms of the maintenance agreement were not shared.

Vossloh has been awarded a contract by the Australian Rail Track Corp. to supply 250,000 concrete rail ties for the modernization of the Maroona-Portland freight-rail line in the state of Victoria. The 105-mile line connects Maroona to the port of Portland and is critical for grain exports, Vossloh officials said in a press release. The line's wooden ties are degraded, which has resulted in weight restrictions and a 50% speed restriction along the route. Tie production will begin this month, with delivery expected in August 2027. Vossloh will produce 220,000 ties at its plant in Wagga Wagga in the state of New South Wales and the remaining 30,000 ties at its Geelong facility in Victoria. The Australian government is funding the tie replacement project, estimated to cost AU$150 million, Vossloh officials said.