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.
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
Read more from Laura MillerLatest in Steel Markets
AISI: Raw steel production rises for second consecutive week
Domestic raw steel production ticked up again last week, now up to a three-week high according to the latest data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
Wolfe Research’s Tanners cautions on sheet storm’s darkening clouds
Wolfe Research Managing Director Timna Tanners cautioned clients about the darkening clouds of a brewing steel sheet storm in the company's Basic Materials Weekly Webcast on Monday. “This one we’ve been talking about for a while, and we feel like the theme is coalescing here,” she said.
Dodge Momentum Index rebounds on surge of data center planning
A surge in data center project planning pushed the Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), a leading indicator for the nonresidential construction sector, higher in April.
US construction spending levels off in March
Construction spending in the US in March was basically steady from the previous month but showed notable year-on-year (y/y) growth.
CRU: Brazil proposes quotas on steel imports, with tariff back up
Brazil’s chamber of foreign trade, Camex, has approved quotas on imports of 11 steel products and a 25% levy on shipments 30% above a product’s average import volume between 2020 and 2022.