Intercity Passenger Rail Supply
Industry in the CONEG States
Rail Manufacturing Facilities and Employees of APRC Member Companies
By Harriet Parcells, Executive Director, American Passenger Rail Coalition

enewed interest and investment in intercity passenger rail and rail transit by regions, states and cities nationwide is fueling a resurgence of the U.S. railroad manufacturing and rail equipment supply industry. State and local government leaders, faced with growing highway and airport congestion, clean air law requirements and public demand for an improved quality of life, are incorporating intercity passenger rail and rail transit as essential elements of their strategies to ensure future mobility.
     The rail manufacturing industry has a strong presence in the Northeast, contributing to the economic prosperity and employment of communities and states throughout the CONEG region. The American Passenger Rail Coalition (APRC) is a national association of railroad equipment suppliers and rail-related businesses working for the highest quality and safest nationwide Amtrak system. APRC member companies manufacture intercity passenger rail cars and locomotives, brakes, cable, railroad ties and other products. They also provide a wide range of rail services such as engineering and design, communication and computer services, rail marketing, advertising and other services vital to the operation of Amtrak's national system.
     Listed below are some of the APRC member companies' rail manufacturing facilities and businesses, the number of workers they employ in the CONEG region, and products and services they produce. Some other rail suppliers in the region are also cited. APRC member companies subcontract with many suppliers for parts and services, creating a ripple effect of economic benefit.

New York
An article titled, "Railcar Manufacturing Means Jobs for New Yorkers," that appeared in The Legislative Gazette on June 2, 1997, stated that, "If any state stands to profit economically from the development of high-speed and conventional intercity passenger trains, it's New York."
     Bombardier Transportation, a world leader in transportation technology, produces a full range of transit and intercity passenger rail cars. It has a major manufacturing facility in Plattsburgh, where the power cars and locomotives of the twenty new high-speed trainsets for the Northeast Corridor are currently being manufactured. Bombardier opened the Plattsburgh facility in 1995. In 1998, the facility was doubled in size ? the result of an $18 million investment by Bombardier. The plant employs more than 500 people who work on Amtrak's high-speed power cars and locomotives, rapid transit and commuter rail vehicles. Bombardier also has a center in Auburn, which provides high precision machining and subassembly activities for transportation and aerospace. The Auburn site employs 170 workers.
     ALSTOM Transportation, the world's largest manufacturer of high-speed trains and passenger rail equipment, is a partner with Bombardier in the production of the high-speed trainsets and fifteen high-speed locomotives for the Northeast Corridor. ALSTOM has two major facilities in New York State. The facility in Hornell specializes in railcar overhaul, rehabilitation, assembly and testing and maintains a technical support center. The double 

October 1999