High-speed rail company to build factory in Chemung County, create 300 new jobs

Rail technology company Siemens Mobility will build a first-of-its-kind high-speed rail manufacturing facility in Horseheads, in Chemung County, New York, creating about 300 new jobs, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Monday.

The facility will build high-speed trainsets for Brightline West, which will build 218 miles of new track along the Interstate 15 cooridor, which will connect Las Vegas to Southern California. The seven-car trains, designed for speeds of up to 220 miles per hour, will carry up to 450 passengers. The trains would run faster than those on other high-speed lines in the U.S.

The facility, expected to begin building new trains in 2026, will span nearly 300,000 square feet, with an estimated $60 million in new investment. The new jobs would include electro-mechanical assemblers, quality management, quality control, industrial production and test engineers, project management, supply chain management, and logistics employees, Schumer said.

“Upstate New York is unmatched in rail car manufacturing capabilities, with a deep proud history pioneering the rail industry and a community that is excited to get to work building America’s future,” Schumer said in a statement. “Thanks to the trainsets that will be made right here in Chemung County, it’s full steam ahead for America’s high-speed rail future, powered by union workers here in Upstate NY.” 

The coming facility is credited to the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden in 2021.

“Continuing our more than four-decade legacy of building trains in America, the American Pioneer 220s will be American-Made in New York by a team of more than 300 skilled team members,” said Marc Buncher, CEO of Siemens Mobility North America.