This week’s news from the global railway supply chain.
Gemco Rail has officially opened its plant at Karratha in the Pilabara region of Western Australia, unveiling the first iron ore wagon manufactured at the site which was already underaking bearing refurbishments. Gemco said this was ‘an important step in strengthening regional capability, supporting local employment and building long-term capability in the Pilbara‘. The wagons are being produced for Rio Tinto in partnership with CRRC Qiqihar Railway Rolling Stock.
Siemens Mobility has rolled out the 24 000th locomotive produced at the München Allach works.
Alstom has announced a ‘strategic investment’ of 100m dirhams to expand and diversify its industrial capabilities in Morocco, including what it says will be the first dedicated multi-platform production line for train driver desks. ‘Seeing this first global production line established within our AMECA region is a strong signal of the industrial momentum we are building’, said Martin Vaujour, President of Alstom Africa Middle East & Central Asia. ‘The driver desks manufactured here will equip projects across the world.’ A broader industrial development plan has also been launched, and includes the doubling of production capacity for transformers, along with the creation of a development and engineering office. This is expected to generate over 200 direct jobs and strengthen Morocco’s rail supply ecosystem.
Rafał Stańczyk has been appointed as Managing Director and management board member of Railpool Polska. The leasing company said this marks another step in the development of its operations on the Polish market and ‘strengthens the local organisational structures at a time that is particularly challenging for the railway sector, especially for freight transport’. Railpool as 134 locomotives approved for Poland, and this is projected to grow to nearly 200 by summer 2027.
Built environment consultancy Arup has appointed David Starbuck as its Malaysia Rail Systems Leader, tasked with growing the rail systems team, business, and project portfolio in Malaysia. He has worked on rail and urban rail projects in the UK and Malaysia through his career.
SNCF Réseau has awarded Vossloh a two-year contract for extensive milling works on France’s rail network from 2026, with an option to extend for up to three additional years. An average 200 km of track will be machined per year, with routes planned to optimise the operating times of the milling train and minimise transfer times.