PITTSBURGH — Wabtec Corp. has signed a five-year agreement with European equipment leasing firm Akiem to provide maintenance of critical components for Akiem locomotive fleets, the companies have announced.
The agreement covers brake components, pantographs, and HVAC systems for Alstom-built Prima and Traxx locomotives in France and Germany, and aims to maximize equipment availability for those leasing the equipment.
“This crucial equipment maintenance partnership with Akiem sees Wabtec working directly with the owner of the rolling stock,” Sameer Gaur, president of Wabtec Transit Services Group, said in a press release. “Akiem’s key role in this value chain means it fully measures the value of robust and reliable equipment. We share their commitment to maximize train safety and reliability and are looking forward to supporting this major actor in European rail to achieve its goals.”
The companies said they will also work together to develop additional services, such as additive manufacturing, remote diagnostics, and the use of more sustainable HVAC refrigerants.
Quebec-based pension fund Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, or CDPQ, purchased Akiem earlier this year from French state rail company SNCF and Germany’s Deutsche Bank [see “Quebec pension fund nears purchase …,” Trains News Wire, July 27, 2022]. That deal was concluded in August.
