Vossloh sets up new rail product facility in Canada

Vossloh Tie Technologies has opened a rail products manufacturing plant in British Columbia, Canada.

Located in Monte Lake, the plant will produce prestressed concrete rail ties for Canadian rail markets.

Concrete ties are used to maintain track alignment and enhance performance efficiencies. They also offer resistance to corrosion and wear.

Vossloh noted that the facility will produce heavy haul and industrial concrete ties, which will support a long lifecycle in diverse and harsh track environments in Canada.

The plant, which employs advanced technology of an automated production system, is capable of producing 100,000 to 350,000 concrete ties annually.

The concrete used by Vossloh in the ties are manufactured on-site with an automated batching system that accurately manages materials to meet the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association requirements.

Vossloh Tie Technologies senior vice-president Brett Urquhart said: “Vossloh has entered into long-term contracts to supply concrete ties to Canada’s Class I railways.

“Our Monte Lake plant is ideally located to provide a quality product with great logistic benefits to national, regional and industrial rail networks.”

The move follows Vossloh reaching an agreement to sell its locomotives business to Chinese rolling stock manufacturer CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive.

Earlier this year, Vossloh Fastening Systems received a €40m contract to deliver rail fastening systems for a newly built high-speed railway line in China.

The fastening systems will be installed on the high-speed line between the cities Hangzhou and Taizhou, south of Shanghai.

In April, Vossloh signed multi-year framework agreements with a combined value of up to €100m to deliver switch components to Sweden and Italy.