Van Hollen, Cardin Applaud Hitachi Rail’s Selection of Hagerstown for New U.S. Train Factory that Will Create Over 450 Jobs and Build New Metro Railcars
Selection was spurred by the Senators’ legislation to encourage WMATA to award contracts in the U.S.
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) welcomed Hitachi Rail’s announcement that Hagerstown, Maryland will be the site of its new train factory which will produce the new 8000-series railcars for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Hitachi estimates that the facility will sustain 1,300 jobs, with 460 of them employed directly by the company. This announcement comes after the Senators enacted provisions of their Metro Safety, Accountability and Investment Act through the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that restricted WMATA from using federal funds on contracts from certain countries posing national security concerns.
“Hitachi made an excellent choice in selecting Hagerstown as the site of their newest American train factory. Soon hundreds of hardworking Marylanders will drive the production of a new fleet of energy efficient Metro cars that will ultimately provide a better experience for riders. We worked to bring these jobs to our region and ensure they would not be outsourced to China or elsewhere abroad. We’re glad to see these efforts pay off, and we’ll continue fighting to invest in American manufacturing leading to more jobs and economic growth right here at home. This new facility is a win for Maryland’s infrastructure, our workers, and our economy.
“The historic infrastructure bill signed into law last year by President Biden paves the way for investing billions of dollars in WMATA over the coming years, including through the Federal Transit Administration formula grants and a reauthorization of dedicated funding. The selection of Hagerstown for the production of the WMATA’s rail cars is a fitting development for the new chapter now beginning on Maryland’s infrastructure.”