© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
In addition to the reporting by Connecticut Public Radio that appears below, Connecticut Public Television has produced two video series that focus on manufacturing in our state:Made in Connecticut profiles some of Connecticut's local manufacturing businesses, from high-tech to handmade.Making the Future introduces us to some Connecticut youth pursuing careers in manufacturing and the trades. This series was produced as part of the American Graduate: Getting to Work project with support form the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Gov. Patrick Announces State Contract To Build Subway Cars In Springfield

CNR Changchun
Credit CNR Changchun

The administration of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is recommending a Chinese company be awarded a contract to build new subway cars for the MBTA.  The railcars will be assembled at a new factory that is to be built in Springfield.

Gov. Patrick made the announcement Tuesday standing in front of an empty 40- acre lot on Springfield’s east side,  where the CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. has said it will build a $50 million factory creating over 250 new construction and manufacturing jobs.

"They are the premier manufacturer of railcars in the world and they are looking to expand in North America and they will do that right here in east Springfield, which is pretty exciting."

Executives of the Chinese company announced in Springfield last March plans to purchase the site of the former Westinghouse plant for a North American base of operations if it succeeded in landing the MBTA work.

CNR submitted the lowest of six bids at $566.6 million to build 284 new subway cars to replace decades-old vehicles on the MBTA’s Red and Orange lines.  A formal vote to award the contract is scheduled for Wednesday by the MassDOT Board of Directors.

There has been some criticism about the state doing business with a Chinese government-owned company because of human rights abuses in China.

" The company was thoroughly vetted," said Patrick. " Those ( human rights ) issues have been raised, as I understand it, mostly by unsuccessful competitors, so I take it with a grain of salt."

The MBTA stipulated as a condition of the contract that final assembly of the subway cars would have to take place in Massachusetts.  Hyundai Rotem of South Korea had proposed to build a factory at another location in Springfield, if it won the MBTA business.

Other bidders did not publically identify possible plant sites, but officials in Pittsfield had hoped to have the railcars built at the former General Electric property.

" There is going to be some disappointment, but I think we got the best deal for Massachusetts, " said Patrick who added " I live near Pittsfield, it is not so far that you can't come here to work."

Springfield city officials were almost giddy with excitement at Tuesday’s announcement.  Like many American cities during the last half-century, Springfield has seen its manufacturing base that once supported the economy sharply erode.  Mayor Domenic Sarno said Tuesday’s announcement marks the start of a turnaround.

" It is back to the future," declared Sarno.

The site for the railcar factory is right across the street from the headquarters of the Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO.  Several union officials were on hand for the announcement including John Scavatto , business agent for Sheetmetal Workers Union Local 63.

" This is absolutely wonderful.  It is the biggest thing our local has seen."

Local officials expect construction of the factory to begin next year. The first  new subway cars are to be delivered in 2019. The cars are to come off the assembly line at the rate of four per month.

Copyright 2014 WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Paul Tuthill is WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief. He’s been covering news, everything from politics and government corruption to natural disasters and the arts, in western Massachusetts since 2007. Before joining WAMC, Paul was a reporter and anchor at WRKO in Boston. He was news director for more than a decade at WTAG in Worcester. Paul has won more than two dozen Associated Press Broadcast Awards. He won an Edward R. Murrow award for reporting on veterans’ healthcare for WAMC in 2011. Born and raised in western New York, Paul did his first radio reporting while he was a student at the University of Rochester.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content