Rail supplier news from HDR, Signet, AECOM, Hanson and FTR (Jan. 11)

HDR has obtained a contract with Sound Transit to provide planning, preliminary engineering, environmental and public involvement services for the Tacoma Dome Link light-rail extension. The 9.7-mile extension will include four new stations and a new operations and maintenance facility. The alignment will run through South Federal Way, Fife and East Tacoma, Washington. HDR's team will lead stakeholder engagement and invite the public and business owners to weigh in on the project, company officials said in a press release.

Signet Electronic Systems Inc. has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification, an international standard for quality management systems. An accredited, third-party certification body performed an audit to determine that the company's quality management documentation is in compliance with the standard. The company is one of the few systems integrators in the United States to achieve the certification, Signet officials said in a press release. The certification is expected to open opportunities for the company in the transportation industry, said Signet Vice President of Transportation Solutions Greg Sparrow.

China Communications Construction Co. has chosen AECOM to provide site supervision services for stations, viaducts, tunnels and depots for the East Coast Rail Link project in Malaysia. Part of the Malaysian government's transportation plan, the project will link Kuala Lumpur and Port Klang to the country's East Coast. To complete the project, AECOM is tapping into its local and international experience in delivering transportation infrastructure, particularly in the rail sector, company officials said in a press release. The East Coast Rail Link is slated for completion in 2024.

Ted Gregory has joined Hanson Professional Services Inc. as railway project manager. He'll provide railroad design and construction management, as well as railroad operations analysis support for rail and industrial projects. Gregory has two decades of experience in the rail industry, including stints at CSX Corp. and Canadian Pacific. Most recently, he was a railroad safety engineer for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

FTR Transportation Intelligence has hired Todd Tranausky as senior transportation analyst. He'll be responsible for content in the firm's rail and intermodal services, along with developing analysis and commentary to support those market segments. Tranausky also will develop ongoing relationships with customers, shippers, railroads, publications and financial groups. Before joining FTR, he was Argus' North American transportation editor, where he oversaw transportation reports and led new product development. Tranausky's rail shipper expertise is expected to strengthen FTR's analytic capabilities and open new areas of research, said FTR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Eric Starks in a press release.