Railway supply industry news round-up

FreightCar America has announced consolidated revenues of $203·1m for 2021, compared to $108·4m in 2020. It delivered 1 354 new and 377 rebuilt wagons during the year, up from 600 new and 151 rebuilt wagons in 2020. The consolidated operating loss for 2021 was -$22.8m, compared to -$80.6m in 2020. Strategic Priorities for 2022 include a positive Adjusted EBITDA for the full year, and factory expansion to double annual capacity to between 4 000 and 5 000 wagons by early 2023

Belgian-accredited inspection organisation Vinçotte has certified Pandrol Under Sleeper Pads made from recycled tyres as being CO₂ neutral. Around 2·3 kg of used tyres are required per sleeper, producing a carbon footprint that is less than half of the same product made using new material and reusing 3 000 tyres per track-km.

The European Union Agency for Railways has awarded Certifier a contract to deliver complete or partial assessment services for pre-engagement or vehicle authorisation phases.

India’s Modern Coach Factory has signed a technology transfer agreement with South Korean company Dawonsys covering the design, development, manufacturing and testing of aluminium-bodied passenger coaches.

Icomera has joined the US High Speed Rail Coalition, and founding member AECOM has renewed its membership of the coalition’s executive committee.

Anil Jerath has been appointed Director (Finance) of BEML and nominated as a member of the company’s board.

Final testing is underway with a ‘fully Russian’ chip developed by Mikron Security Printing for Moscow’s Troika smart card. ‘We are fulfilling the task set by the President of Russia within the framework of the digital economy national project by introducing Russian technologies into Moscow’s transport system’, said Deputy Mayor for Transport Maksim Liksutov on March 23. ‘There is a sufficient number of cards in stock’, he reported; ‘there is no shortage and there will not be any in the future’.