Hitachi Rail has unveiled the final designs and images of its new train facility located in Hagerstown, in Washington County, Maryland.
Once completed in the first quarter of 2024, the factory will begin work to deliver its first order comprising 256 new 8000-series railcars for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro).
When fully operational, the factory will be able to complete up to 20 railcars per month in a single shift, with the capability to produce a wide range of trains from metro to high-speed services.
The USD 70 million plant has an 800-yard test track and is built on a 41-acre surface, that
US construction company, Ryan Companies, has been appointed as the lead site developer. The construction programe is progressing well with land clearance, creation of the concrete deck and the majority external concrete walls completed – and the factory is set to open on schedule in early 2024.
The construction programme, led by Ryan, is on schedule, with the latest phase seeing them install 248 concrete wall panels, each of which is 13’ x 36’ and weighs around 35,000lbs. In total, the programme will require 1,050 tonnes of steel to complete factory building, which includes joists, girders and structural steel columns. The creation of the facility will also include the pouring of 12,430 cubic yards of concrete, enough to fill almost four Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The new train facility is part of a contract announced in March 2021 and includes options for up to 800 cars to be built.
The new plant will sustain 1,300 jobs, with up to 460 working directly for Hitachi Rail on site. The new jobs will command total earnings of USDA 350 million per year and bring major economic benefits to the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region.
Nearly 60% of the construction value of the factory is to be spent with suppliers from across the region, which equates to more than USD 40 million in direct and indirect economic impact. Small businesses are expected to benefit too, with more than a quarter (27%) of the total expenditure anticipated to go to Small Business Enterprises.
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