Rail supplier news from West Memphis Transload, Pandrol, Nisus, HNTB and AREMA (Feb. 13)

West Memphis Transload LLC has acquired the assets and transloading business of Arkansas Logistics LLC in West Memphis, Arkansas. Arkansas Logistics' facility will be operated in conjunction with a new bulk transfer facility under construction on adjacent property. The joint operation will be capable of handling steel coils, railroad ties, lumber, agricultural products and various container commodities, West Memphis officials said in a press release. The facility connects to the Friday-Graham Railway, which is switched daily by Union Pacific Railroad.

Pandrol's VIPA DRS rail fastener system has been selected by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand for the northern extension of its Green Line elevated rail route. The 11.8-mile extension of the Bangkok Skytrain will run from Mo Chit to Saphan. Pandrol's system is designed to reduce the transmission of low-frequency noise and vibration due to its low stiffness, company officials said in a press release. The system features an e-Clip baseplate, which is mounted on a studded rubber pad to provide resilience. Pandrol's VIPA DRS system previously was selected for Bangkok's Purple Line and Green Line south extension.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week published an amended rule allowing borate- and copper naphthenate-treated railroad ties to be used as boiler fuel at the end of their lifecycle. The amendment comes after the Treated Wood Council (TWC) filed a petition in 2013 to amend the rules to address ties treated with copper naphthenate, borate, creosote or combinations of the three. Nisus Corp. worked with TWC, the Railway Tie Association and the EPA to provide additional data for both creosote/borate and copper naphthenate/borate to support the petition. In a statement, Nisus President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Kirkland said the company is "pleased that the EPA has issued a final rule which demonstrates that copper naphthenate and copper naphthenate/borate treated railroad ties can be used as a valuable fuel at the end of their lifecycle and are similar to untreated wood."

HNTB Corp. has hired Kammy Horne as group director and vice president. Based in Austin, Texas, Horne will oversee a variety of departments and staff, and help develop and maintain client relationships, HNTB officials said in a press release. She has 25 years of experience in transportation project planning, development and implementation. Horne has played key roles in delivering major projects in Austin, Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

Astronaut and retired Navy combat veteran Captain Mark Kelly will give the keynote address at the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association's 2018 annual conference and exhibition, which will be held Sept. 16-19 in Chicago. Kelly will address the open general session on Sept. 17. He'll share "lessons learned from his extensive travels and experiences in the Navy, outer space and on the ground," AREMA officials said in a press release.