SCHUMER ANNOUNCES SIEMENS TO BUILD NEW, HIGH-SPEED RAIL MANUFACTURING FACTORY IN UPSTATE NY, CREATING UP TO 300 NEW GOOD PAYING JOBS BUILDING FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND HIGH-SPEED TRAINSETS FOR AMERICA
Following His Relentless Advocacy For Siemens To Select Upstate NY, Schumer Announces Company Planning New Manufacturing Hub To Build High-Speed Railcars For Line Connecting California To Las Vegas
Siemens Plans To Invest ~$60 Million For New Massive 300,000 Sq ft. Facility In Horseheads, NY – Partnering With IAM Union To Help Southern Tier Workers Build What Will Be The Fastest Railcars Yet At Up To 220 MPH
Schumer: Full Steam Ahead For Upstate NY Building America’s High-Speed Rail Future!
Following his relentless advocacy for Upstate NY, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today announced that Siemens Mobility has heeded his calls and will build its first-of-its-kind high-speed rail manufacturing facility in Horseheads, New York, creating approximately 300 new good-paying jobs producing America’s fastest high-speed trainsets, the American Pioneer 220, for Brightline West, that will connect Las Vegas to Southern California.
“America’s high-speed rail future will be built in Upstate NY. Siemens’ investment in Upstate NY will lay the foundation for the next chapter of our nation’s transportation future, making high-speed rail, what only a few years ago seemed like a dream, but because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law is becoming a reality. After months of relentless advocacy, I am proud to announce this massive 300-job first of its kind manufacturing facility for America is coming to Upstate NY,” said Senator Schumer. “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. 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 new manufacturing facility will span nearly 300,000 square feet, with an estimated $60 million in new investment creating approximately 300 new good-paying jobs in the Southern Tier – including electro-mechanical assemblers, quality management, quality control, industrial production and test engineers, project management, supply chain management, and logistics employees. Schumer explained Siemens will build its AP 220, which are designed for operational speeds of up to 220 miles per hour, at this new Horseheads facility. The propulsion system, lighter weight, and aerodynamic shape make it more efficient than other high-speed trains.
The seven-car trains will carry up to 450 passengers and are expected to make the trip from Las Vegas to Southern California in two hours—half the time it takes by car. The Brightline project is a $12 billion public-private partnership with Nevada DOT to build a Las Vegas-to-Los Angeles high-speed rail system and broke ground earlier this year. According to Siemens, production at the facility is expected to begin in 2026.
“Bringing high-speed rail to America is no longer a dream, but a reality. With Leader Schumer, the Biden Administration and Brightline’s leadership we will transform the way Americans travel,” said Marc Buncher, CEO Siemens Mobility North America. “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."
“We’ve said from the start that Brightline West will plant the flag for high-speed rail in America and will lay the foundation for a new industry with unimaginable economic benefits. Today’s announcement that jobs are being created thousands of miles away from the rail line is just the starting point,” said Michael Reininger CEO of Brightline. “For the first time ever in the U.S., we will be manufacturing trains that will compete with the best in the world. Reaching speeds of over 200 mph, these trains will be marked by the latest innovations designed for the modern traveler and establishing a new benchmark in transportation.”
“Thanks to President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Leader Schumer’s strong support of it in the Senate, this is a transformative time for American rail, and today’s announcement is yet another example of how investments in transportation bring economic opportunity and growth around the country,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “FRA is proud of our investments in the Brightline West project and high-speed rail. Millions of annual riders between Las Vegas and Southern California stand to benefit from the train sets to be built in Upstate New York, and I know the local community will benefit as well.”
“Through a $4 million grant from our FAST NY program, the Chemung County IDA is able to help prepare this site for Siemens Mobility so that they can create good paying, Union jobs in the Southern Tier and get up and operating quickly,” said Governor Hochul. “Today's announcement is testament to the partnership between state, local and federal support to grow manufacturing and unlock real opportunities in New York State.”
“This project is a game changer, elevating Chemung County and the Southern Tier Region to unprecedented prominence. With this cutting-edge initiative, along with the established rail car industry and related vendors in the Southern Tier, we are fostering the growth of a manufacturing cluster that positions our area as one of the most important transportation hubs in New York State,” said Joe Roman, President of Southern Tier Economic Growth and Executive Director of the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency. “The efforts by STEG and CCIDA at the former Holding Point, now known as Southern Tier Logistics Business Park, have laid the groundwork for attracting projects such as these to Chemung County. We would like to acknowledge the work done by Southern Tier Logistics and Empire State Development, and we extend our gratitude to Siemens, a Fortune 500 company, for choosing to locate here. We would also like to recognize Senator Schumer for his continued commitment and unwavering support for economic development in Chemung County, the Region, and in New York State.”
“One of the most important legacies of the Biden-Harris administration’s landmarm infrastructure investments is not only the creation of new high-speed rail service, but also a growing U.S. high-speed rail manufacturing industry. This industry will create state of the art manufacturing capacity and many good union jobs in upstate NY,” said Greg Regan, President of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department.
After the announcement in May of this year by Brightline West that Siemens Mobility had been selected as its preferred bidder to produce trainsets for this high-speed line, Schumer wrote to Siemens USA CEO, Barbara Humpton, urging Siemens Mobility to consider Upstate New York as a site for its next trainset production facility. In his letter, he highlighted the importance of selecting a site that had an existing manufacturing base with competence in the transportation industry.
Schumer added, “Siemens Mobility is an excellent addition to the outstanding manufacturers already in this region, and I am thrilled they heeded my call to come to New York and will join the railcar manufacturing ecosystem right here in the Southern Tier. All eyes are on this major step in the modernization of America’s infrastructure and the Southern Tier will be at the forefront.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) recently announced a Voluntary Recognition Agreement and has reached a memorandum of understanding with Siemens to represent employees who will build the future trains for this project. Schumer said IAM’s union presence in Upstate New York is strong and they are the best in the business and uniquely prepared to manufacture these trainsets.
“We would like to thank Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his leadership in bringing the manufacturing of Brightline Train Sets to New York and ensuring that skilled IAM members were at the forefront of this project,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “This partnership is more than just a moment. It’s a new chapter for the future of rail transportation, with good union jobs creating lasting economic benefits for generations to come.”
Schumer has been a relentless champion for improving America’s rail systems and bringing manufacturing to Upstate New York thanks, most recently, to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law. The bill makes the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak, with over $66 billion in new investment. That investment includes $30 billion to Amtrak and in FRA competitive grants to modernize the Northeast Corridor, $16 billion to Amtrak to modernize its national network, supporting the procurement of new rail cars for the national network, and $12 billion in competitive grants for states to compete to expand their intercity passenger rail networks.
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