This week’s news from the global railway supply chain.
Wabtec’s KinetiX ground-level rolling stock condition monitoring system is to be tested in Astana during Q1 2026. A combination of 3D cameras, infrared, acoustic and vibration sensors with artificial intelligence technology monitors the bogies, brake equipment, wheelsets, axlebox bearings and automatic couplers of passing trains, with information about any detected defects transmitted to the vehicle owner to enable a decision on the best response.
3D printing, CNC machining, casting and forging specialist Replique is expanding its manufacturing collaboration with Alstom, supplying components for projects in Singapore, Brazil, Australia, France, Italy, Germany, Thailand and Spain. When an impeller in a metro cooling unit in Asia needed replacing the original manufacturer only offered to replace the entire block, Replique was able to produce the single component, handling every step from metal 3D printing and balancing to precision milling and final corrosion-resistant coating.
Berlin-based night train start-up Nox Mobility has completed its founding team with the appointment of Artur Hasselbach as CFO. Hasselbach co-founded payment start-up Orderbird and brings expertise in scaling start-ups and navigating complex mobility finance. Nox Mobility plans to launch night trains with fully private rooms at ‘flight-ticket prices’ from 2027, aiming to offer a serious alternative to short-haul flights across Europe. The company says it has inspected coaches, finalised cabin designs and built a waiting list of almost 37 000 potential early customers.
Wabtec has inaugurated its first Latin American global engineering centre. The 9 000 m² facility at Contagem in Brazil will be a hub for research and development, with the company planning to grow the team to 300 engineers by 2028.
Following 1½ years of testing in real conditions, SNCF Réseau has approved the use of Pandrol’s Under Sleeper Pads on the French network. The recycled rubber USPs improve load distribution and reduce vibrations, and are designed to be easy to install, maintenance-free and compatible with all types of track design. They can be installed onto fresh concrete during sleeper production using Micro Filament Fastener technology.
Aurélie Csizmazia has joined rail rolling stock leasing association AERRL as Technical & Political Advisor, co-ordinating the ERTMS and standardisation working groups and represent AERRL in EU forums including the European Union Agency for Railways, the European Commission and Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking groups. She was previously Policy Assistant at the AllRail alliance of passenger rail new entrants.
Frauscher Sensor Technology appointed Chief Sales Officer Mayank Tripathi as Vice-President & General Manager from January 1, under the succession plan for Michael Thiel who stepped down as CEO when the company was acquired by Wabtec at the end of 2025. Thiel said ‘with Mayank, a leader takes over who knows the company, our customers and our values inside and out’. Tripathi said ‘my focus will be on preserving and strengthening what makes Frauscher unique while leveraging our integration with Wabtec to accelerate innovation, expand our global reach and deliver even greater value to our customers’.
Amey has opened an office at the Freight Building in Dublin’s Docklands to establish a strong presence in Ireland where it has framework agreements with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Iarnród Éireann and plans to grow to 200 employees within three years.
US Wagon manufacturer The Greenbrier Companies has appointed Travis Williams as Head of Investor Relations. He was previously Senior Director of Investor Relations at Enerpac Tool Group.
After successfully completing a €3m sharefunding round at the end of 2025, European Sleeper is now issuing a further €1m in shares to support its 2026 ambitions including a Paris – Berlin route and an earlier start of the planned night train from Amsterdam and Brussels to Switzerland and Milano.
Austria’s Benteler Group, which owns autonomous shuttle manufacturer Holon, has acquired autonomous mobility software company Ioki from Deutsche Bahn. Simmons & Simmons LLP provided legal advice to Benteler.