VINCI Energies / X-Rail
VINCI Energies and its subsidiary TCI+ on Feb. 28 reported acquiring X-Rail—a move that they said will strengthen their position in the Quebec railway transportation market.
Founded in 1996, X-Rail’s services include the installation and maintenance of railway signaling systems; the modernization and refurbishment of existing equipment; compliance verification with safety standards; and “rapid emergency response to ensure optimal railway operation.”
TCI+ subsidiaries already operate in such markets as telecommunications, renewable energy, and urban infrastructure (Neolect carries out major electrical work and “supersignaling” projects in the greater Montreal metropolitan area; Houle H2O specializes in pressurized work on water and wastewater pipes; and Hayes Signaling specializes in safety and roadworks signage).
“This acquisition is fully aligned with our development strategy in Canadian energy and transportation infrastructure,” said Philippe Peter, Managing Director of VINCI Energies Canada Infra Pole. “The synergies with TCI+ and its subsidiaries, as well as with our specialized companies in this sector in Europe, will enable us to offer even more efficient and secure solutions across the country.”
RayHawk
The government of Canada through Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) has awarded funding to four agriculture-sector projects in Saskatchewan, one of which is rail-related. On March 3, it announced that RayHawk will receive $1,015,083 to help commercialize “a machine learning autonomous system that opens and closes railcars lids” at grain terminals, food processing plants, port facilities, and mining sites. According to PrairiesCan, RayHawk will install and commission a demonstration site at a grain terminal in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and hire marketers to implement “a go-to-market strategy” if the demonstration succeeds.
RayHawk’s funding is part of the government’s Business Scale-up and Productivity program, which offers interest-free, repayable loans to small and medium-sized businesses for the production of “innovative goods, services, or technologies.”
“Shipping by rail has been a critical link within the supply chain for decades, and at RayHawk our vision is to revolutionize rail operations by removing people from the hazards of working on top of a railcar,” RayHawk President and CEO Tom Boehm said. “We’ve met with a lot of key players in the granular shipping industry who share our vision, and the support from PrairiesCan will help ensure that we can deliver on our goal of redefining rail industry standards.”
