CRRC Chairman Cui, Mayor Sarno Tour Springfield Rail Car Manufacturing Site Construction Underway

Springfield, Ma – April 14, 2016– Today, CRRC Chairman Dianguo Cui and dignitaries joined  at the former Westinghouse manufacturing center on Page Boulevard to tour the 40 acre parcel that will soon become CRRC’s first American rail car manufacturing facility.  CRRC, in 2014, was awarded a contract to design and manufacture 284 Orange and Red Line vehicles for Boston’s transit system, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

“We are proud to have Springfield as our partner on this journey to establish rail car manufacturing in a City rich with history, passion, and a commitment to improve the local economy through education and employment opportunities,” said Chairman Cui.  “I look forward to standing here next year with Mayor Sarno, as we open the doors to a facility that will provide jobs, manufacturing expertise, and state-of-the-art rail car vehicles for North America.”

“It’s back to the future – bringing back manufacturing and precision machining back to the City of Springfield. We are very proud and honored to partner with CRRC in this economic development project. We’re especially pleased that this development is also helping us move forward on overall workforce development through partnering with Putnam Vocational Technical Academy, the Regional Employment Board, and our labor unions with apprentice programs and our local colleges. My administration will continue to push the ticket on creating more and more good paying jobs for Springfield and Western Massachusetts. Again, this is part of well over $2.5 billion in economic development projects going on in the City of Springfield.”

CRRC continues to makes strides while remaining focused over the past year adhering to vehicle design and facility design schedules, and construction timeline.   CRRC’s design build contractor Plaza Construction, LLC has started construction of the 213,000 SF rail car assembly facility, and 2,240 foot dynamic test track.  Work activity over the next several months will include: ground improvement, sitework, and foundation construction, with structural steel erection commencing in June.

Facility completion is slated for fall of 2017. Full rail car production at the new plant will begin in spring of 2018 with the first production cars completed in January, 2019.  All production vehicles will be assembled and tested in the CRRC Rail Car Assembly Facility.  The plant will house Engineering, and Administrative offices in the former Westinghouse Building.

For the MBTA Orange and Red Line Project, CRRC is working cooperatively with the City of Springfield and various partners to explore approximately 150 hires including industry experts to assist with technology transfer, engineering resources, and a workforce to perform assembly.  In addition to the progress thus far, CRRC in collaboration with Putnam Vocational, Western New England College, Regional Employment Board, and Local Unions 7 & 63 have further declared their willingness to cooperation with the execution of a Memorandum of Agreement.

CRRC is the world’s largest railcar builder.  As a world leader in railcar manufacturing exporting to 110 countries and regions, CRRC produces high speed trains, mass transit vehicles, passenger coaches, wind power equipment, engineering machinery and more ~ to countries around the world including: Brazil, Argentina, Saudia Arabia, Thailand, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and now the United States with the establishment of a manufacturing facility at 655 Page Boulevard in Springfield, Massachusetts.