Hitachi Rail Reveals Final Designs for Maryland Train Factory

Hitachi Rail revealed the final designs and images for its new $70 million train factory and 800-yard test track, built on a 41-acre site located in Washington County, Maryland.

When fully operational, the factory will sustain 1,300 jobs, with up to 460 working directly for Hitachi Rail on site, according to the agency's news release. The new jobs will command total earnings of $350 million per year.

US construction firm, Ryan Companies, has been appointed as the lead site developer. The factory is set to open on schedule in early 2024, according to Hitachi Rail.

Once completed in the first quarter of 2024, the factory will begin work to deliver its first order: 256 new 8000-series railcars for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro). The contract, announced in March 2021, includes options for up to 800 cars to be built.

When fully operational, Hitachi Rail said 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.

“With construction of our new train $70 million 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," said Andrew Barr, Group CEO, Hitachi Rail. "It is exciting to be able to release the final designs of our new facility with its cutting-edge Lumada technology. Manufacturing pioneering trains is core to our business, and this factory, with its new workforce, will have the capability to build trains for all of North America.”

Nearly 60% of the construction value of the factory is to be spent with suppliers from across the region, which equates to more than $40 million in direct and indirect economic impact, according to Hitachi Rail.