Rolling stock manufacturer Hitachi Rail has unveiled the final designs and images of its new train facility in Washington County, Maryland, US.

With an investment of $70m, the new train factory and 800-yard test track will be constructed on a 41-acre site in Hagerstown.

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Starting with the new fleet for Washington DC Region’s Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro), the new facility will manufacture trains for railways across North America.

US-based construction company Ryan Companies will serve as the lead contractor for the project.

This facility, upon completion in the first quarter of 2024, will produce 256 new 8000-series railcars for Metro.

Awarded in March 2021, the contract has options for the construction of up to 800 cars.

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The factory can manufacture up to 20 railcars on a monthly basis in a single shift, once it is fully operational.

Hitachi Rail will use the new facility for the production of a wide range of trains from metro to high-speed services.

The project is anticipated to create 1,300 jobs, including 460 working directly for Hitachi Rail on-site.

Hitachi Rail Group CEO Andrew Barr said: “With construction of our new train $70m factory on schedule and progressing well, we are one step closer to delivering a new, high-quality fleet for the Washington DC Region’s Metro.

“With construction of our new train $70m factory on schedule and progressing well, we are one step closer to delivering a new, high-quality fleet for the Washington DC Region’s Metro.”

Last month, Hitachi Rail revealed its new ‘Blues Train’ at the InnoTrans event in Berlin, Germany.

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