FV/FA loco maintainence

[Mark Bau <markbau@altavista.com>]

Wabtec Signs Five-Year Supply Contract with Freight Australia; Expands
                 Presence in Key Australian Market
                  
                 WILMERDING, Pa., March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Wabtec Australia
                 Limited, a new
                 subsidiary of Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB), has signed a
five-year supply   
                 contract with Freight Australia, one of the country's
largest regional  
                 railroads.  Freight Australia is a subsidiary of
RailAmerica, Inc. (Nasdaq:
                 RAIL), the world's largest operator of short line and
regional railroads.
                  
                 Under the contract, which begins immediately, Wabtec
Australia will supply
                 components to Freight Australia for the ongoing maintenance
and overhaul of  
                 148 locomotives.  The company will also operate and manage
Freight  
                 Australia's parts warehouse in Melbourne, Victoria.  The
contract is  
                 renewable for an additional five years.
                  
                 "We're pleased to begin this long-term relationship with
RailAmerica in the 
                 important Australian rail market, which is currently
undergoing a very  
                 successful privatization program," said William E.
Kassling, chairman and
                 chief executive officer of Wabtec.  "Since entering
Australia less than a
                 year ago, RailAmerica has already expanded this business,
and we look forward
                 to playing a role in its future growth."
                  
                 Marinus van Onselen, CEO of Freight Australia said, "We are
pleased to have  
                 concluded this long-term parts supply arrangement with
Wabtec.  The ability
                 to source components from the U.S. at competitive pricing
will do much to  
                 ensure that Freight Australia's competitive position in the
Australian rail  
                 market is maintained."
                  
                 "We believe that this contract is just the beginning of
RailAmerica's  
                 business relationship with Wabtec," added Gary O. Marino,
chairman, president
                 and CEO of RailAmerica.  "With our 50 railroads worldwide,
there are numerous 
                 additional opportunities we are exploring with Wabtec, not
only in the parts  
                 supply sector but also in locomotive maintenance services."
                  
                 "The ability to serve our railroad customers with a
complete range of rolling
                 stock logistics and support services is a key priority of
the new Wabtec  
                 Corporation, both in North America and overseas," said
Gregory T.H. Davies,
                 president and chief operating officer of Wabtec.  "The
Freight Australia  
                 project, combined with a similar contract for The Belt
Railway Company of 
                 Chicago, shows our ability to provide railroads with a
complete package of
                 products and services for all their rolling stock
requirements." 
                  
                 Ron L. Witt has been named managing director of Wabtec
Australia and will 
                 relocate there immediately.  Witt has 22 years of rail
industry experience,
                 including 12 years of international experience and three in
Australia.  He  
                 was instrumental in growing the international business of
the former  
                 MotivePower Industries during the past five years.  In his
new position, Witt 
                 will be responsible for the Freight Australia project, as
well as marketing, 
                 sales and service for all Wabtec products in the Pacific
Rim region. 
                  
                 Wabtec Corporation (www.wabtec.com) is North America's
largest provider of
                 value-added, technology-based products and services for the
rail industry.  
                 Through its subsidiaries, the company manufactures a full
range of products  
                 for locomotives, freight cars and passenger transit
vehicles.  The company
                 also builds new locomotives up to 4,000 horsepower and
provides aftermarket
                 services, including locomotive and freight car fleet
maintenance.  Wabtec's
                 mission is to help its customers achieve higher levels of
quality, safety and
                 productivity so they can compete more effectively.  The
company has about  
                 6,500 employees in facilities located throughout the world.
                  
                 SOURCE  Wabtec Corporation
                  
                 CO:  Wabtec Corporation; Wabtec Australia Limited;
RailAmerica, Inc.; Freight
                      Australia