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.
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.
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.
