HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Hitachi Rail has released final designs for a $70 million factory to be built on a 41-acre site in Washington County, Md., which will begin operations by building a 256-car order for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
The factory, projected to open in the first quarter of 2024, will employ up to 460 people and is projected to sustain a total of 1,300 jobs and $350 million earnings per year for the region. Construction firm Ryan Cos. is the lead developer; land clearance, creation of the concrete walls and the majority of external concrete walls are already complete.
“With construction of our new train factory on schedule and progressing well, we are one step closer to delivering a new, high quality fleet for the Washington, D.C., region’s Metro,” Hitachi Rail Group CEO Andrew Barr said in a press release. “It is exciting to be able to release the final designs of our new facility with its cutting-edge Lumada technology. Manufacturing pioneering trains is core to our business, and this factory, with its new workforce, will have the capability to build trains for all of North America.”
Barr will host Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, U.S. Rep. David Trone and WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke at the site today to provide an update on progress in construction.
When completed, the factory will be able to complete up to 20 railcars per month with a single shift. It will be capable of producing a variety of equipment from transit cars to high-speed rail vehicles. The initial order for WMATA, announced in March 2021, includes options for construction of up to 800 of the 8000-series cars [see “Digest: Hitachi contract for DC Metro cars …,” Trains News Wire, March 18, 2021].
If I’m reading the press release correctly this facility will have the capability of fabricating body shells. This is interesting. Alstom is (was?) building a fab shop at Hornell. Bomber already had one at La Poc. Siemens, Kawasaki, CAF USA all have fab shops. How many fabricating facilities does North America need?