Rail supplier news from Gannett Fleming, EllisDon, Alstom, HDR and Keolis (Dec. 28)

Global infrastructure and engineering firm Gannett Fleming appointed Doug Willoughby vice president and transit and rail facilities director in Canada. He will leverage the firm's work with Toronto-area transit agencies and be charged with growing Canadian transit and rail facilities business, Gannett Fleming officials said in a press release. Willoughby previously managed a Canada-wide transportation business and delivered program management, planning, design and construction services for transit, highway and bridge projects for public- and private-sector clients. As a senior program manager, he led design services for Metrolinx's Regional Express Rail infrastructure improvements on the Stouffville Corridor.

EllisDon Infrastructure Transit won a $175 million contract to overhaul GO Transit's Rutherford Station in Vaughan, Ontario. Design work will start immediately with construction to begin in spring 2019 and conclude in 2023. The project calls for building a multi-level parking structure with an integrated station building. EllisDon also will install new platforms, construct a second heavy rail track, complete prep work for a future third express track and complete a grade separation at Rutherford Road.

Alstom Transport won a contract from Rocky Mountaineer to rebuild two additional SilverLeaf cars — the 11th and 12th SilverLeaf cars the company will rebuild for the railroad. The two cars are slated for delivery in March 2019. The rebuild work includes the installation of oversized dome windows, new seats and new interiors, which are expected to extend the cars' lifespan by at least 10 years, Alstom officials said in a press release. Alstom began overhauling the SilverLeaf cars in 2014. The company since has converted eight cars, including new mechanical and electrical systems.

HDR appointed Brian Buchanan a transit principal project manager and transit section manager. Based in San Antonio, Texas, he will be charged with planning, directing and monitoring multi-discipline transit programs. Buchanan most recently was senior vice president of development for VIA Metropolitan Transit. He previously was director of design and construction for Valley Metro, where he was involved in the planning, construction, start up and testing of the Central Phoenix/East Valley light-rail system.

Through its Chinese joint venture, Keolis opened its first section of the Songjiang tram line in China on Dec. 26. The open tram section is 8.6 miles long, features 20 stations and connects with an existing Shanghai metro line. In August, Shanghai Keolis — a joint venture between Shanghai Shentong Metro Group and Keolis — was awarded a five-year contract to operate and maintain the Songjiang tram network. Keolis, which pioneered the first automated metro line in Shanghai, plans to soon launch an automated metro service at Shanghai International Airport, company officials said in a press release.