Steel Markets

Hitachi to Build New Railcar Factory in Maryland

Written by Laura Miller

October 18, 2022

A new railcar manufacturing facility will soon be built in Washington County, Md.

Hitachi Rail announced plans for a $70 million factory to build all types of trains to meet growing demand in North America’s rail market.

railcar manufacturing facility Hitachi Construction of the facility’s building will use 1,050 tons of steel including joists, girders, and structural steel columns. The factory will be built over 41 acres and will include an 800-yard test track. It is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024, with the capability to complete up to 20 railcars each month in a single shift.

Once fully operational, Hitachi Rail will employ 460 direct employees on the site, and the factory will sustain 1,300 total jobs, the company said.

“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,” commented Andrew Barr, Hitachi Rail Group CEO.

Hitachi has already received the factory’s first order: It will build 256 new 8000-series all-electric passenger railcars for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

With a presence in 38 countries on six continents, global rail solutions provider Hitachi Rail’s head office is in London and its main US office is in Pittsburgh.

By Laura Miller, Laura@SteelMarketUpdate.com

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held a variety of positions within the steel industry since 2007, including reporting and editing for Steel Business Briefing/Platts, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and Kallanish Commodities, as well as marketing for what was then known as ThyssenKrupp Steel USA (now AM/NS Calvert). After a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel in 2021 and has covered the flat rolled, tubular, and trade areas of the industry. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.

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