Rail supplier news from Vossloh, Hitachi, Brandt and ARC

Vossloh will supply concrete rail ties to Norwegian railways over the coming years, which will contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gases. The use of cement produced with CO2 capture lowers emissions in production by more than 40% compared to the ties used previously, Vossloh officials said in a press release. The framework agreement, which the Norwegian railway infrastructure operator Bane NOR has concluded with Sateba Norway, a subsidiary of Vossloh, will run for up to eight years and covers the delivery of up to three million ties. The order value for the agreed first two years is around 50 million euros. In addition to quality and price, environmental aspects were an important factor in the award of the contract, Vossloh officials said.

Hitachi Rail announced it's investing nearly C$30 million in a new Toronto headquarters. The site will host Hitachi Rail’s Global Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) Competence Center, which will provide the engineering and technical expertise. Today's announcement builds on a C$100 million commitment Hitachi Rail made to develop SelTrac^™ G9, the next generation of rail signaling technology from the new office. The headquarters will span 125,000 square feet over 5-1/2 floors and will be the base for 1,100 Hitachi Rail employees and 100 paid interns. The office is located in Consilium Place in Toronto’s Scarborough district and is due to open this summer, according to a Hitachi Rail press release.

Brandt and On-Site Services have partnered to provide rail operators with easier access to reliable parts and service for Brandt R5 Power Units. A nationwide mobile maintenance provider for Class Is and regionals, On-Site will bring repair service to remote locations and machines too difficult to transport for repair, according to a Brandt press release. "Brandt and On-Site are a great partnership, because we share a commitment to maintenance, safety, and customer service," said Russell Solomon, Brandt director of sales-U.S.

Austin Rail Constructors (ARC) has been selected by Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) as the contractor for Austin Light Rail, a 10-mile light-rail line in Austin, Texas. The contract marks a major step toward beginning construction in 2027, according to an ATP press release. A joint venture of Stacy Witbeck and Sundt Construction, ARC will build, design and construct the transitway, tracks, systems, stations, bridges, traffic signals, utilities, drainage structures and streetscape improvements. The selection of ARC enables ATP to begin pre-construction activities and advance final design for Austin Light Rail under the first phase of a multibillion-dollar contract, ATP officials said.