Dive Brief:
- Siemens Mobility is building a $60 million high-speed passenger rail manufacturing facility in Horseheads, New York, according to a Sept. 9 press release.
- Production is set to begin in 2026 and will create approximatley 300 jobs, including electro-mechanical assemblers, industrial production and test engineers, supply chain and logistic managers.
- Once fully operational, the facility will span 300,000 square feet and produce 10 of Siemens Mobility’s electric American Pioneer 220 railcars for rail company Brightline West as part of a contract signed in May.
Dive Insight:
Germany-based Siemens Mobility won the manufacturing bid among many global competitors for Brightline’s upcoming project, including France-based train maker Alstom.
Brightline chose Siemens based on criteria including price, manufacturing schedule, passenger capacity and its ability to help the company meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, according to the May press release.
However, the Brightline and Siemens agreement was not without strife. In December, the Nevada Department of Transportation requested a Build America, Buy America waiver to purchase train sets from either Siemens or Alstom after the Brightline project received $3 billion in Biparisan Infrastructure Law funding, which reequires receipients to purchase materials made in the U.S. for projects.
Siemens Mobility and Brightline had stated the components needed to manufacture and assemble their train cars were unavailable in the U.S., according to the Nevada Department of Transportation’s request.
The Federal Railroad Administration issued the waiver to Brightline shortly after it chose Siemens Mobililty in May. As a result, the first two AP 220 sets, car shells, signal systems, high-speed rail turnout and fire alarm systems will be manufactured and assembled at Siemens’ Germany plant. The remaining eight electric cars will be produced in New York.
The upcoming Horseheads facility will play a major role in Brightline West’s low-carbon rail system plans, which will connect Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, California, starting in 2028. The AP 220 railcar will emit zero emissions and move at 220 miles per hour.
The electric car’s sustainability is also cost efficient, reducing 20% in investment costs as well as 30% in maintenance and servicing costs. The high-speed train is also over 70 tons lighter than its high-speed predecessors, the company stated.
“For the first time ever in the U.S., we will be manufacturing trains that will compete with the best in the world,” Brightline Holdings CEO Michael Reininger said in a statement Sept. 9. “Reaching speeds of over 200 mph, these trains will be marked by the latest innovations designed for the modern traveler and establishing a new benchmark in transportation.”
