Intramotev, the technology company building autonomous railcars, said that former Chief Executive Ray Betler of locomotive manufacturer Wabtec has joined its board as an independent director.

Betler worked as an engineer at Westinghouse, where he became the youngest head of engineering and later president and CEO in the company’s 120-year history. He joined Wabtec (NYSE: WAB) in 2008 and was later named chief operating officer, then president and CEO.

During his tenure, Betler led Wabtec’s global operations from its base as the dominant builder of diesel locomotives in North America. He  directed the strategic acquisition of rail supplier Faiveley Transport, and led Wabtec through its merger with GE Transportation. It has more than $8 billion in revenue and 27,000 employees. He retired in 2019.

“Ray has spent his career at the forefront of rail innovation,” said Tim Luchini, CEO of Intramotev, in a statement. “He’s led global organizations through times of transformation, and having his experience at Intramotev will be invaluable as we continue to grow.”

Based in St. Louis, Intramotev is the only U.S. company to have its autonomous railcars deployed in commercial service. The company said its cars moved over 350,000 tons of material for mining customer Carmeuse Americas. It initiated a second commercial deployment with shortline operator Watco in February.

“Intramotev’s technology is already delivering measurable results for customers, and it’s clear the company has only scratched the surface of what’s possible,” said Betler, in a statement. “I look forward to supporting the team as they expand adoption of a technology our industry truly needs.”

Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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