The builder of the fastest trains currently in operation in the U.S. has purchased a large property to be transformed into a state-of-the-art maintenance and service yard not far from the nation’s busiest railroad.
Alstom, a France-based train manufacturing juggernaut, has purchased a 20-acre property in Newark, Delaware, to be used as the maintenance facility for Amtrak’s NextGen Acela high-speed trains.
According to a news release from Alstom, the property was acquired for $55 million and will eventually employ about 100 people when it’s up and running.
The facility was specifically chosen due to its close proximity to the Northeast Corridor, the busiest railway in North America, which connects the largest city centers on the East Coast and New England with the nation’s capital. Trains traveling along the Northeast Corridor make stops in Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Newark, New Jersey, and Boston, among other cities.
Alstom built and delivered Amtrak’s new Acela trains, which were put into service on the Northeast Corridor last year. As part of that manufacturing agreement, Alstom is also responsible for maintenance and technical support.
Officials for Alstom said the new property will be developed with a new-construction maintenance facility that will be large enough to service two trainsets at a time with space for outdoor storage of a third.
“The Newark site will be central to ensuring the long-term performance and reliability of America’s fastest and most technologically advanced trains under our care.”
Michael Keroullé – Alstom Americas President and CEO
The new facility is slated to open in summer 2028.
In addition to the new maintenance facility, an existing warehouse on the property will be adapted to serve as office space and a parts distribution center. Currently, Alstom has a parts center located nearby in the city of New Castle, Delaware. Once the Newark building is fully functional, about 50 current employees at the New Castle operation will be moved there, and then additional hires will be made to bring the staff to roughly 100.
The maintenance deal between Alstom and Amtrak is meant to keep the fleet of Acelas in “near-continuous” service by providing quick service turnaround and readily available spare parts.
Alstom Americas President and CEO Michael Keroullé said the new facility will not only ensure that the Acela trains are managed and maintained for the long-haul, but will also have a major economic impact on the surrounding communities.
“This site will support the local economy through added tax revenue and a total of 100 jobs,” Keroullé said in a news release. “We are proud to continue operating in Delaware and we remain deeply committed to investing in our American operations to serve the U.S. market.”
Read More: California High-Speed Rail gives green light to lay first miles of track
Delaware Governor Matt Meyer praised Alstom and Amtrak for investing in Newark and partnering to provide reliable rail services and jobs to the region.
“Affordable, reliable rail service is vital for Delaware workers, families and businesses. This new facility will help keep one of the busiest transportation corridors in the country moving and will bring new jobs, new investment and long-term economic opportunity to our state,” Meyer said.
Alstom built Amtrak’s high-speed Acela trains
Although headquartered in Europe, Alstom built and assembled the Acela trains at a facility located in Hornell, New York.
The Acela trains made their debut in the Northeast Corridor just last year, and the trains have already logged more than 1 million riders in that short period. Amtrak officials and transit experts estimate that those numbers will continue to rise as the Acela becomes the preferred method of travel for East Coast train riders.
Alstom says it has provided more rolling stock and rail service in North America than any other manufacturer. Its other projects include the trains used for the Bay Area Rapid Transit, aka BART, and the Automated People Mover at Los Angeles International Airport.*
- Alstom delivered the vehicles themselves to LAX years ago, and the company is not a contributing reason for that project’s mounting delays and price overruns
As I previously reported for KTLA.com, Alstom is also one of two train manufacturers bidding for the contract to build and deliver the trains to be used on the California High-Speed Rail. Germany-based Siemens is the other.
Both train manufacturers have long histories of building in California, with Alstom owning a facility located on Mare Island in Solano County, and Siemen’s having its U.S. headquarters and a massive manufacturing plant near Sacramento.
Whichever manufacturer receives the lucrative contract from CAHSR will supply an initial fleet of six trainsets, with the first prototypes slated for testing some time in 2028.
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