Rail supplier news from Granite, Ardanuy, and in memoriam: Josef Theurer (March 23)

Rail News Home Railroading Supplier Spotlight 3/23/2020 Rail News: Railroading Supplier Spotlight
Josef Theurer, founder of Plasser & TheurerPhoto – Plasser & Theurer

Fresno, California, officials awarded Granite Construction Inc. a $20 million contract to close a grade crossing on Union Pacific Railroad tracks on Veterans Boulevard in northwest Fresno. The work involves construction of a bridge that will carry future high-speed trains over the tracks and connect to a future Golden State Boulevard rail alignment. Construction is expected to begin this spring and be completed in fall 2021. 

The Metropolitan Region of Bogota-Cundinamarca awarded the ARCO Bogota Zipa consortium — made up of Ardanuy Ingenieria Colombia and Coral Delgado y Asociados — a $566,000 contract to supervise the feasibility studies and designs for Regiotram del Norte, a planned freight and passenger railway between Bogota and Zipaquire, Colombia.

Josef Theurer, founder and former chief executive officer of Plasser & Theurer, died March 19. He was 91. Theurer founded Plasser & Theurer with Franz Plasser in 1953, and registered more than 1,000 patents during his lifetime. “His technical genius, discipline, modesty, diligence and, in particular, his compassion have made Plasser & Theurer a successful, international business,” company officials said in an announcement. Theurer is survived by a daughter and two grandchildren. Johannes became Plasser’s CEO in 2011.