Rail supplier news from Siemens, SNC-Lavalin, WSP, McMahon Associates; and, in memoriam: Walter Sellick (Jan. 17)

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) on Jan. 16 marked the delivery of the city's first new Siemens-built light-rail vehicle. The unit is part of SFMTA's 215 vehicle order from Siemens. The vehicle features a regenerative braking system and LED lighting that uses up to 40 percent electricity than standard lighting, Siemens Rolling Stock President Michael Cahill wrote in a blog post. SFMTA's order marks Siemens' largest light-rail vehicle order in the United States to date.

SNC-Lavalin obtained a $13.7 million contract from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority for engineering and administrative consulting for projects involving the procurement of electric locomotives and multilevel cab and coach cars. The services will include project management, engineering, oversight, review and quality assurance. Meanwhile, SNC-Lavalin also was awarded a contract to provide consulting engineering oversight and project management for the light-rail vehicles being procured for the Maryland Transit Administration's Purple Line project. The company received the contract from Purple Line Transit Partners, the private consortium tapped to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the project.

WSP Parsons Brinckheroff will rebrand as "WSP" effective May 2017. The firm has operated under its current name since WSP acquired Parsons Brinckerhoff in October 2014. The rebranding marks the "next step in the unification of the company," said Gregory Kelly, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. and Latin American region.

McMahon Associates Inc. has hired Mark Alisesky as mid-Atlantic regional service leader for the company's rail and transit sector. He comes from an international firm based in western Pennsylvania, where he most recently served as a market sector leader for national rail and transit. In this role, he helped capture "significant market share" on the Northeast Corridor with Amtrak, according to a McMahon Associates press release. He also expanded the firm's presence with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, freight-rail construction services and high-speed rail in Southern California.

Sellick Equipment Ltd. founder Walter Sellick died Jan. 10. He was 98. In 1969, Sellick established Sellick Equipment, which manufactures rough terrain forklifts. He previously managed a Ford tractor dealership for many years, according to an obituary from the company. Sellick served in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1941 to 1945. He also served on the board of the Equipment Manufacturers Institute, now known as the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Sellick is survived by two sons and a daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren.