Steelmaker ArcelorMittal and Kazakh national railway KTZ signed a memorandum of understanding in November setting out plans for a joint venture to produce up to 400000 tonnes of long products a year, around half of which would be R-65 rails for the domestic and export markets. KTZ will contribute up to 50% of the cost of the project. US firm Atlantic Track & Turnout Co has purchased Conley Frog & Switch stock and patent rights enabling it to offer rail joints for use on railway swing and draw bridges. German track maintenance equipment supplier Robel has entered a co-operation agreement with non-destructive materials testing specialist Prüftechnik Linke & Ruhe to provide infrastructure maintenance and testing services. Main focus of the co-operation is the development of methods to detect rail defects such as head checks, including tools for eddy-current rail inspection, and the selection of appropriate maintenance and renewal strategies to deal with any failures identified. Wabtec Corp announced its acquisition of motor brush holder and spring assembly manufacturer Fulmer Co on November 21. Based in Export, Pennsylvania, Fulmer has 100 staff and annual sales of about $15m in the rail, power, mining and industrial motor markets. China South has signed an agreement with the local government to develop a 5bn yuan locomotive and rolling stock manufacturing and repair centre in Chengdu. Japan's Nisshinbo Holdings completed the acquisition of rail, auto-motive and industrial braking products maker TMD Friction Group at the end of November.Schaltbau Holding subsidiary Bode has acquired the Milton Keynes based Rail Door Solutions, adding to its portfolio of door equipment for trains, trams and buses. RDS Managing Director Jeremy Sprigg said the deal would support Bode’s international expansion and enable RDS to expand in the UK market.American Wera has been appointed North American representative of German firm MAE Götzen, which supplies straightening, wheelset and hydraulic presses. As part of the company’s strategy to increase rail-related turnover from 133bn yen in 2010 to 320bn yen by 2015, Hitachi is reported to be planning to set up a manufacturing plant in India, according to the Nikkei newspaper. The company hopes to confirm a joint venture partnership with an Indian firm; the plant would serve both the local market and countries in southeast Asia. More...
