Chinese railcar builder, CRRC breaks ground on Mass. facility

State and local officials came together in Springfield, Mass. on Sept. 3 for the groundbreaking of a $95 million CCRC railcar manufacturing facility to make Orange and Red Line subway cars for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and to support future North American operations.

Over one hundred (100) construction jobs will be created to restore the historic Westinghouse building and to build the new facility for the fabrication of the railcars. The facility is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017. Staffing for CRRC USA Rail Corp. will focus on the greater Springfield region, with an initial estimate of 150 employees.

"The MBTA is an integral part of the economy and quality of life for the greater Boston area, and the manufacturing and delivery of new rail cars will go a long way to enhancing the service that the MBTA provides to the traveling public," said MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack. "And while residents of Springfield may not be daily T riders, construction of this manufacturing facility will bring economic benefits and link the futures of Springfield and the T for the next generation and beyond," said Transportation Secretary Pollack.

"These new cars will replace Orange Line and Red Line cars that are more than 30 years old, and create needed manufacturing jobs," said MBTA GM Frank DePaola. "It’s a major investment in the future of public transportation in Greater Boston, as well as a sizeable investment in the Western Massachusetts regional economy."

In 2015, rail car manufacturer, CRRC was awarded a $566 million contract from the MBTA to design and manufacture 284 Orange and Red Line vehicles. The contract includes the purchase of 152 new Orange Line vehicles and 132 new Red Line vehicles.

Construction will begin in spring of 2016 with completion scheduled 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.