Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates Upcoming Springfield Rail Car Factory Completion

The factory will open in winter 2018, with new rail car production to begin in April 2018.

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito Administration today joined local elected officials, transportation leaders, and CRRC MA leaders for a tour of the Springfield rail car manufacturing facility. The tour comes in acknowledgement of CRRC’s permanent Certificate of Facility Occupancy, marking a major milestone towards the completion of the $95 million, 204,000-square-foot plant that will manufacture the MBTA’s brand new Orange and Red Line subway cars.

"We are excited to celebrate this major project milestone and the continued impact this factory will have on economic growth in Springfield and the reliability of the MBTA," said Governor Charlie Baker. "From new employment opportunities in Western Massachusetts to service improvements for the riders who depend on the MBTA and transit systems around the nation to get to work and school, this partnership will deliver many benefits to the Commonwealth’s residents."

"When fully operational, this facility will spur the Western Massachusetts regional economy, while delivering new Red and Orange Line cars for the MBTA and its riders," said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. "We are all excited for the opportunities to come as the CRRC factory is completed to benefit the Commonwealth, local residents, commuters, and other transit agencies."

"The upcoming opening of this state-of-the-art facility represents major investments in the future of public transportation in Greater Boston that our customers deserve," said MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramírez. "These new cars will replace Orange Line and Red Line vehicles, which in some cases are more than 30 years old, helping further our continued goal of providing a first-class transit system that meets the needs of our customers."

Construction of the facility began in March 2016 with completion scheduled for winter 2018. A 2,240-foot test track as well as a staging and storing area adjacent to the Springfield manufacturing facility were also included in the construction.

Over one hundred construction jobs were created in restoring the historic Westinghouse building and in building the new facility. Approximately 150 technology, engineering, and assembly employees are to be hired to staff the new facility in support of the Orange and Red Line Project with a determined focus on hiring from the greater Springfield region.

A world leader in rail car manufacturing, CRRC was awarded a $566 million contract in 2014 to design and manufacture new Orange and Red Line vehicles. The contract initially included the purchase of 152 new Orange Line vehicles and 132 new Red Line vehicles. An additional 120 Red Line vehicles were ordered in December 2016 in order to have the entire Red Line fleet completely replaced. Full rail car production at the new plant is expected to begin in April 2018 with the first production cars completed in January 2019.