USA: Siemens Mobility has inaugurated its second rolling stock manufacturing facility in the United States, located in Lexington, North Carolina. The complex comprises 10 buildings covering a total area of 809,000 m² and is primarily dedicated to the production of passenger coaches.
The plant currently hosts 25 coaches for push-pull Venture trains at various stages of completion. The first batch is scheduled for delivery to Amtrak this summer. Siemens Mobility is fulfilling a contract to supply 83 push-pull trainsets for Amtrak’s Airo service.
Each section of the site is connected to a central warehouse that stores between 5,000 and 8,000 components. A dedicated facility for overhaul of locomotives and passenger vehicles has also been established, with plans to expand into light rail vehicle work in the future. The plant is equipped with automated welding systems and 3D printing technology.
More than 350 jobs have been created at the facility, with the workforce expected to grow to around 500 by 2028, when annual output is projected to reach 140 coaches. Investments in the new site have reached $220 mln.
Siemens Mobility now operates eight production sites across the US. Until now, rolling stock assembly had been undertaken exclusively at its Sacramento plant. In parallel, the company is developing a new factory in Horseheads, New York, which will manufacture high-speed trains.
