Senator Schumer announces new high-speed rail factory in Horseheads

You can watch Senator Schumer, county officials, and representatives from Siemens Mobility in the video player above as they spoke outside Southern Tier Logistics in Chemung County.

HORSEHEADS, N.Y. ( WETM ) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Monday a first-of-its-kind high-speed rail manufacturing facility is coming to Horseheads.

The facility is expected to bring nearly 300 jobs to the county and surrounding area in the transportation sector with a new Siemens Mobility plant that will build the fastest trains in the country, capable of reaching speeds of 220mph. In comparison, current trains top out at speeds of around 150mph.

According to a release from Senator Schumer’s Office, the new facility will be up to 300,000 square feet, investing an estimated $60 million in the area.

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. The release states that production of the new railcars at the Horseheads facility is expected to start in 2026.

The trains built in Horseheads will be used on the Las Vegas to Los Angeles line, with Schumer saying more than 1 million cars will be taken off the roads when fully operational.

“Bringing high-speed rail to America is no longer a dream, but a reality,” said Marc Buncher, CEO of 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,” Buncher said.

The release states that the Horseheads facility will be responsible for building the AP 220 railcar, designed for use at speeds up to 220mph due to its propulsion system, lighter weight, and aerodynamic shape, thus making it more efficient than other high-speed trains.

Senator Schumer said during a news conference that the new jobs created with this facility will be very well paid and looked after.

“It means it benefits the town and the community because that money will be spent here,” Schumer said.

Schumer concluded by saying that a dream of his is to make the Southern Tier the number one railcar transit ecosystem in the country and that will mean great things for the local community.

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