Rail Equipment Market: The Cowen Insight
Cowen and Company on Feb. 15 held a webinar with five expert panelists addressing the current state and outlook for the rail, locomotive, and railcar leasing and manufacturing markets.
Caterpillar
UP Acquiring 20 Battery-Electrics for Yard Service
Union Pacific on Jan. 28 reported ordering 10 battery-electric locomotives apiece from Progress Rail, a Caterpillar Company, and Wabtec Corp. for yard testing; the “green” units plus yard infrastructure upgrades will exceed $100 million and support the Class I railroad’s efforts to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Supply Briefs: Watco/Medha, Fortescue/Progress Rail
Watco is partnering with India-based Medha to convert two switchers to battery power. In addition, mining company Fortescue Metals Group of western Australia has ordered two new EMD® Joule battery-electric locomotives from Progress Rail, a Caterpillar Company.
Caterpillar, Chevron Team on Hydrogen Power
Caterpillar Inc. and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. will collaborate “to confirm the feasibility and performance of hydrogen for use as a commercially viable alternative to traditional fuels” for line-haul rail, marine vessels and prime power, reported the companies, which said they will demonstrate a hydrogen-powered locomotive.
Progress Rail Acquires Nitryx
Progress Rail, a Caterpillar Company, has purchased Brazilian software firm and consultancy Nitryx, adding network optimization, yard planning, crew management and a rail movement planner to its Advanced Rail Technology (ART) product line.
PHL to Test Progress Rail EMD® Joule
Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, has teamed with Anacostia Rail Holdings subsidiary Pacific Harbor Line (PHL) to test its new EMD® Joule battery electric locomotive in the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, Calif., during the second half of 2021.
Ballast Maintenance, Delivered
RAILWAY AGE, NOVEMBER 2020 ISSUE: While most aspects of railroading have not been immune from the effects of COVID-19—namely, a drop in business—many railroads have been “working smart” and thinking ahead, taking advantage of lower traffic levels to get a jump on maintenance-of-way projects, before work windows re-tighten when operations return to pre-pandemic levels. State-of-good-repair and other projects are continuing, and railroads are using a variety of high-production, high-tech-driven track machines to perform the work. Ballast programs are among the most important of these.
Covoni to lead Progress Rail signal unit ECM
Progress Rail has appointed Paolo Covoni as managing director of ECM S.p.A., its recently-acquired international signaling company, effective immediately.
EMD could end engine production at LaGrange
The parent of Progress Rail Services is eyeing a move of the Electro Motive Diesel business to a new facility on the East Coast, and out of its historic plant in LaGrange, Ill., involving as many as 600 jobs.
United Industries fined for unneeded repairs
A unit of Progress Rail Services has agreed to pay a criminal fine of $5 million after it admitted to performing unnecessary repairs on railcars, dumping brake shoes and other parts into the ocean to conceal evidence.