A Chinese railroad car manufacturer wants to assemble MBTA transit cars at the 40-acre former Westinghouse site on Page Boulevard and make Springfield the hub for its North American manufacturing operations.
The MassDOT Board of Directors unanimously approved a contract worth at least $556.6 million with CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles to build MBTA subway cars in Springfield at anew $60 million factory.
The CNR factory means 100 construction jobs. When operational, the facility will create 150 new manufacturing jobs.
Over the objections of rival bidders and human rights advocates, a Chinese rail car manufacturer on Wednesday won a lucrative state contract to supply the MBTA with 284 new Red Line and Orange Line cars to be assembled in Springfield.
Korean conglomerate Hyundai Rotem has sued the MBTA, former Gov. Deval Patrick and others, saying CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles improperly won the bid to build Red and Orange Line cars in Springfield in part because the Patrick Administration chose the proposal that had the biggest potential benefit to Springfield.
State transportation officials said Monday the project that will have new MBTA Orange Line and Red Line cars built in Springfield remains on schedule a year into the effort.
