SIEMENS has made what it describes as a “strategic equity investment” in predictive locomotive maintenance specialist Wi-Tronix, United States. While both companies have agreed not to release details of the transaction, Wi-Tronix will remain a standalone company led by its founder.

AMTRAK has revealed the exterior livery for its new fleet of Alstom Avelia Liberty high-speed trains, which will replace the existing Acela fleet and increase capacity on the Washington DC - New York - Boston Northeast Corridor.

A consortium led by German Rail (DB) has emerged as the frontrunner in a tender to select an “early train operator” for the California high-speed rail network.

TEXAS Central, the developer of a project to build a privately-funded high-speed line between Dallas and Houston, announced on October 5 that it has appointed WSP to provide engineering support as the scheme moves into the pre-construction phase.

SEATTLE Department of Transportation has awarded CAF a contract worth more than $US 50m to supply 10 three-section Urbos LRVs for the Seattle Streetcar network.

HARSCO Rail has won two orders worth nearly $US 25m to supply track maintenance and measuring equipment for use on the Haramain high-speed line in Saudi Arabia and the Transnet network in South Africa.

THE first Stadler Flirt DMU for the Tex Rail commuter line in North Texas has left the Stadler US plant in Salt Lake City bound for Atlanta, where it will go on display at the American Public Transportation Association (Apta) Expo on October 8-11.

CSX says that it quickly restored service throughout the areas affected by Hurricane Irma, which struck Florida on September 10, with devastating winds and flooding.

SOUND Transit introduced a new fleet of nine Bombardier double-deck driving cars for its Sounder commuter rail network on September 21, when the first vehicle entered passenger service between Seattle and Tacoma.

THE Protran Technology unit of Harsco Rail, United States, has won orders from Washington Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Sacramento Regional Transit District for track worker protection systems to be supplied before the end of the year.