CRRC announces ship date for MBTA pilot cars

CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Company announced the shipment date of pilot cars for Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

CRRC, government, and MBTA officials gathered at CRRC’s manufacturing plant in Changchun, China in anticipation of the completion of pilot cars to be delivered for testing to the MBTA. CRRC is the first Chinese railcar builder to enter into the U.S. rail car manufacturing market. Dignitaries took a ride on one of the four pilot cars to be sent to Boston for testing.

CRRC is currently designing and manufacturing 404 subway vehicles for the MBTA. The contract includes the purchase of 152 new Orange Line vehicles and 252 new Red Line vehicles.

CRRC is underway with the construction of a $95 million, 204,000-square-foot railcar manufacturing facility; a 2,240-foot dynamic test track, and a staging and storing area in Springfield, Mass., where assembly of the MBTA’s subway cars will take place.