Hitachi Rail unveils final designs of new US rail facility

Rolling stock manufacturer Hitachi There is a rake revealed the final designs and renderings of its new train facility in Washington County, Maryland, USA.

With a $70 million investment, the new train factory and 800-yard test track will be built on 41 acres in Hagerstown.

Starting with the new fleet for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro), the new facility will produce trains for railroads across North America.

Ryan Companies, a US-based construction company, 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 to build up to 800 vehicles.

The factory can produce up to 20 railcars on a monthly basis in one shift once it becomes fully operational.

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

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

Hitachi Rail Group chief executive Andrew Barr said: “With the construction of our new $70 million train factory on schedule and progressing well, we are one step closer to delivering a new, high-quality metro fleet to the region Washington.

“With construction of our new $70 million train factory on schedule and progressing well, we are one step closer to delivering a new, high-quality metro fleet to the Washington region.”

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