Hitachi Rail’s New Factory Will Support Hundreds of Jobs, Boost Regional Economy

Hitachi Rail has opened its lighthouse digital factory in Hagerstown, MD. The new carbon-neutral factory, featuring more than $30M in digital enhancements, will deliver railcars for customers across North America, including in the Washington, DC, area, Baltimore, and Philadelphia.

A special opening event, Sep. 8, saw major institutional and transportation leaders presented with a showcase of Hitachi Group’s capabilities at the factory’s digital customer experience center. APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas was in attendance.

“Thanks to President Trump, America is quickly becoming the number one destination for private investment in the world,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy. “For communities like Hagerstown, that means hundreds of new jobs and millions in economic activity. This state-of-the-art Hitachi plant is a powerful example of this Administration’s commitment to reshore jobs and build big, beautiful infrastructure projects that benefit American families.”

The $100M, 307,000 sq. ft. site, operating with zero landfill waste from day one, will sustain 1,300 jobs with up to 460 working directly for Hitachi Rail onsite in roles that will harness AI and smart manufacturing principles and offer next-generation manufacturing careers. The total added value of the new digital site is set to be more than $350M per year, bringing major economic benefits to the DC, Maryland, and Virginia regions.

“I would like to sincerely thank our customers, partners, Hitachi Group colleagues, and community leaders in the state of Maryland for their support in launching this new factory,” said Toshiaki Tokunaga, president & CEO, Hitachi, Ltd. “The Hagerstown factory showcases the unique strengths of the Hitachi Group by integrating manufacturing expertise and digital and AI technologies across a wide range of our business domains as True One Hitachi. We will deliver ever greater value to our customers and society by addressing infrastructure and mobility challenges in the United States.”

With digital at its core, more than $30M has been invested in digital enhancements, and the plant has been designed with a focus on high-quality production and customer-value creation. The smart factory harnesses real-time supply chain and manufacturing monitoring, local component manufacturing using 3D printing and on-site additive manufacturing for spares and tooling, and full transparency on product quality.

“Today, we celebrate a major milestone in the partnership between Hitachi and the state of Maryland,” said Governor Wes Moore. “Hitachi Rail’s new Hagerstown factory will not only create hundreds of jobs and power the region’s transit infrastructure with railcars equipped with cutting-edge technology, but it affirms Maryland’s position as a premier location for global investment in the industries of the future.”

Hitachi Rail is delivering several fleets of railcars from the new factory, including from the Washington, DC, region, Baltimore, and Philadelphia with orders totaling more than 600 railcars.

“As America’s Metro System, our focus is on continuous customer improvement and innovation through the use of technology. It’s great to have a partner like Hitachi that embraces technology and invests capital dollars in state-of-the-art infrastructure like this facility to transform the future of transit for this region and North America,” said Randy Clarke, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority chief executive officer and general manager. “Congratulations on this achievement! Hitachi’s footprint will positively impact Metro and transit for generations to come.”

“Transit drives economic growth by connecting people to jobs and opportunities,” said Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold. “Our new Hitachi Metro Subway railcars represent a significant step in delivering a safer, more reliable transit experience for riders in the Baltimore region.”