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Metro’s Newest Series of Railcars Will Be Built in Hagerstown

Photo via WTOP News.

By Luke Lukert

Metro’s next series of rail cars will be built in Washington County. Hitachi Rail said it will build a $70 million “state-of-the-art” factory there.

Hitachi’s first order at the plant will be to build at least 256 new 8000-series cars with the option of up to 800 this decade. That contract of up to $2.2 billion was announced in March 2021.

Hitachi said the all-electric cars would come with digital maps, onboard Wi-Fi, heated floors and more space between seats and wider aisles.

Safety measures include beefing up the cars with planned HD security cameras, “smart doors” that can detect obstructions, improved ventilation and improved regenerative braking. They’ll be able seat around 65 people per car.

Metro’s latest cars — the 7000 series — were pulled late last year after a derailment in October revealed wheel defects. They still have not returned to service and have sidelined about 60% of Metro’s rail fleet.

During a recent meeting, Metro General Manager and CEO Paul Wiedefeld told the agency’s board of directors that the agency has identified “probable root causes” of the wheelset issues.

The 8000-series will replace the older 2000- and 3000-series cars that have been in service since the 1980s and are at the end of their 40-year life cycle.

“It’s important that this investment in rail cars will enable us to replace our legacy equipment while accruing economic benefits to the region through jobs, use of local suppliers, and work for small and minority-owned businesses,” Wiedefeld said.

Hitachi expects the new factory to employ up to 460 people and sustain 1,300 jobs in the region.

The 307,000-square-foot factory — a bit bigger than five football fields — will be built in the Hopewell Valley industrial park near Hagerstown. It will include a test track.

The Japanese-based conglomerate said the location would be 90 minutes away from the newest car’s delivery point, Metro’s Greenbelt Rail Yard.

The company said the location also has an excellent connection to the Northeastern United States.

“With this new facility, Hitachi Rail will be creating hundreds of critical manufacturing jobs in our state with the capability to serve the wider North American market,” Maryland Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) said. “We are excited to work with the company on this transformative project and look forward to its continued success in Maryland.”

As part of Maryland Matters’ content sharing agreement with WTOP Radio, we feature this article from Luke Lukert. Click here for the WTOP News website.

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Metro’s Newest Series of Railcars Will Be Built in Hagerstown