Rendering of 8000-series railcar. Courtesy WMATA
Metro’s new fleet of railcars will be built in the Washington, D.C., region, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced Wednesday. Hitachi Rail Washington LLC, an entity related to Japanese manufacturer Hitachi, has been awarded a contract worth up to $2.2 billion to build up to 800 railcars.
The base order for the system’s 8000-series railcars is for 256 cars, WMATA officials said in a statement. Hitachi is currently exploring sites in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland for a new assembly plant that is likely to result in direct and indirect local jobs, according to WMATA.
