This week’s news from the global railway supply chain.
German infrastructure manager DB InfraGO has approved the use of Vossloh’s SoniQ Rail Explorer mobile ultrasonic testing trolley the rail network. The SoniQ Rail Explorer was developed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Dresden, with the aim of reliably detecting and locating flaws in the rail’s interior, corrosion in the rail base and irregularities in weld seams. Vossloh said this make it particularly suited to pinpointing the exact location of previously detected flaws and for regular inspections of shorter track sections.
Presenting its half-year results on August 27, Stadler said 39% US tariffs on Swiss products were not having a serious effect on the company. The Buy America Act requires it to generate at least 70% of its value added in the USA if federal funding is being used, and Stadler North America currently generates between 70% and 80% value added in the USA. A large portion of the remainder comes from other European countries where a lower tariff rate of 15% applies. Car body production in Salt Lake City is to begin at the end of 2025, resulting in even greater added value, and lower customs costs.
Hübner Group company Hemscheidt Engineering has rebranded as Hemscheidt Rail to emphasise its expertise as a specialised supplier of front end, bogie and inter-car components for the rail industry, including hydraulic actuators, anti-roll bars and upper articulations.
Rail and public transport planning and scheduling software company PSI Transcom has been renamed Peak Mobility, and is to move into a new office in central Berlin by the end of the year. ’The new premises provide our employees with a work environment that we have jointly developed and optimised through surveys. Thanks to excellent connections to public transport, they are also optimally accessible for partners and customers,” says Managing Director Torsten Vogel.
French company SNIC Technologies has acquired the Spanish signalling group ICF for almost €100m, as part of SNIC’s ambitions to be a major player in the signalling sector.
As part of the 70th anniversary celebrations for its Sesto San Giovanni site, which is a centre of excellence for the production, maintenance and repair of subsystems and components for trains trams and metro cars, Alstom announced plans to create 100 new positions by March 2026. There are opportunities in railway maintenance, electrical and electromechanical fields, and for graduates in mechanical, electronic and management engineering.
AECOM has appointed Steve Higham as Managing Director for Transportation in Europe & India. He joins from Systra, where he was Managing Director of its UK & Ireland engineering business. ‘His deep expertise in delivering large-scale transport projects and building trusted client relationships will be instrumental as we continue to grow our transportation business and deliver transformative solutions for our clients and communities across the region’, said said Richard Whitehead, AECOM Chief Executive Europe & India.
On September 16 GATX Corp announced the expiration of the waiting period under the US Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in connection with its pending acquisition of Wells Fargo’s rail operating lease portfolio through a joint venture formed with Brookfield Infrastructure. The transaction was cleared by the European Commission in August, but remains subject to other conditions including clearance in Canada and Mexico. GATX expects the transaction to close in Q1 2026 or sooner.
Systra UK & Ireland has appointed Jonathan Scott as Managing Director - Engineering.
Rail Europe has appointed Siebe Gerbranda as Vice-President of Product with effect from October 1. He joins from German fintech company Taxfix, where he was Director of Product – Growth & Platforms, and has held senior roles at AliExpress, Google and Glownet. Rail Europe said his priorities will be to make the end-to-end experience simpler for travellers and partners, increase the reliability and speed of delivery, and develop talent and ways of working.
Marco Caposciutti is now President of the Association Française du Rail.
REMSA is now accepting applications for the 2025 Railway Engineering Education Scholarship and the InnoTrans Career Award. The scholarship supports students preparing for careers in rail construction and maintenance. The InnoTrans award will offer one student the opportunity to attend InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin. Applications should be made by November 7; REMSA membership is not required to apply.
