ZURICH, Sept 12 (Askume) – German engineering company Siemens (SIEGn.DE) said on Monday it will spend $60 million to build a new factory in the United States to manufacture high-speed trains to transport passengers between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
About 300 jobs will be created at the 300,000-square-foot facility in Horseheads, upstate New York, which Siemens says is the first high-speed rail production site in the United States.
French train maker Alstom (ALSO.PA) said it already has a high-speed train factory in New York state to produce its 186 mph (299 kph) Avalia Liberty trains.
The Siemens plant, which is scheduled to enter production in 2026, will build the 220-mph American Pioneer 220 trains that will run on a Las Vegas to Southern California line operated by Brightline West.
The project is 218 miles long, has an estimated speed of at least 186 mph and an estimated travel time of 2 hours and 10 minutes.
The Las Vegas to Los Angeles line is expected to be completed before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Siemens CEO Michael Peters said: “This new plant in Horseheads, New York, marks the start of a new industry in the US – high-speed rail production and will bring some of the world’s most modern trains to the US for the first time.” Time has come to the African continent.
