If you didn’t know, TransLink is hosting the 2010 American Public Transportation Association (APTA) rail conference this week! See the APTA Rail 2010 category for more posts.

Conferences of all stripes usually have a trade show exhibition, where different companies advertise their wares. I thought I’d post a few pictures of the APTA Rail Products and Services Showcase, as it provides an interesting glimpse at the range of things that go into a rail system.

Also, for many of these things, I had no idea that there were whole companies behind them!

For example, there’s a company who makes the rumble strips at the edge of station platforms, as well as other tactile flooring!

Whiting Systems offers the TrainWash system to keep your trains clean.

American Seating obviously offers seats :) By the way, everyone is sitting because I happened to be taking photos during the lunch section of the conference!

Luminator makes LED signage and lighting systems.

Here’s the 4One booth, which offers passenger seating too.

Japan Railways had a booth with a model train! Their expertise in high speed rail and rail systems is becoming particularly valuable in the industry right now.

ProTran1 is a company that makes safety products for electrified train systems.

And last but not least is the train-shaped Init booth!

Init, of course, is a manufacturer of communications and information systems for public transit: they supplied the GPS-based communications and announcement system on our bus fleet (read more about it here). Also, if you stepped through the entrance, Init’s automatic passenger counter would count you and put the number up on a big screen. Very clever.