China’s CSR Sifang has been awarded the contract to design and build Chicago’s new 7000 series subway trains.
Described by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as the biggest rolling stock order in its history, CSR will supply a total of 846 cars for Chicago’s rail network.
To deliver the $1.3 billion order, CSR will build a new assembly site in the city, as it is currently doing in Boston where it is also supplying a new fleet of subway trains.
The $40 million facility will support 170 jobs and will return rolling stock production to the city after a 35-year absence.
Chicago Federation of Labor president Jorge Ramirez said: “It has been over 30 years since the last rail car rolled off the Pullman assembly line on Chicago’s Southside.”
He added: “Today’s announcement is the culmination of nearly two years of collaboration with Mayor Emanuel to bring rail car manufacturing back to Chicago where it belongs.
CTA has initially ordered 400 cars, but is likely to exercise options for additional units in the next few years.
A prototype 7000-series trains is expected to be completed in 2019 and could be in service by 2020, according to CTA.
Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel said: “With this agreement, CTA riders will get state-of-the-art rail cars and Chicago returns to our roots as the place where the next generation of rail cars are built, providing good jobs for our residents. That is a classic win-win for Chicago.”
