“Bright sparks flew on Sept. 25 as Stadler’s brand-new welding facility in Salt Lake City opened, delivering the first locally welded aluminum car body in the company’s North American history,” Stadler reported Sept. 26.
Aluminum car bodies are now being welded on-site rather than shipped from Stadler’s welding facilities in Europe.
“With the new welding facility and car body production, Stadler is further strengthening its domestic content creation in the U.S., increasing it to around 80%,” Stadler said. “Of the remaining 20%, a large proportion of supplies come from Europe. Stadler is currently analyzing all supply chains with the aim of further reducing the proportion of foreign components.” The company noted that since 2016, the Buy America Act has required it to “demonstrate that at least 70% of its value creation is generated in the USA if U.S. tax money is used for financing the project.”
Stadler’s new 50,000 square-foot welding hall will employ up to 20 new local welders and technicians by the end of 2026. During this “ramp-up phase,” the company said its top welding experts from Hungary are on-site in Salt Lake City “to share best practices and ensure a seamless transfer of expertise.”
“We set out to build more than just trains,” said Martin Ritter, CEO of Stadler North America, which earlier this year announced it would operate as an independent division. “We’re building economic opportunity, stronger supply chains, and a future where American-made trains are synonymous with world-class quality. Today, our welders are proof that it can be done.”
“This facility is a shining example of what can happen when global expertise meets local ambition,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, who attended the grand opening event with other local officials, community leaders, and Stadler team members. “With the opening of this new welding hall, [rail]car bodies will be manufactured locally. That means jobs, innovation, and a more sustainable future.”
Stadler is said to be investing more than $70 million to expand its existing manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City’s Northwest Quadrant, with support from the Utah Inland Port Authority. The expansion project is slated to double the size of the existing facility, adding 245,000 square feet to accommodate two new assembly halls, the new welding facility, sandblasting booth and train battery charging station.
Bussnang, Switzerland-based Stadler established a Utah location in 2016, after Trinity Metro in Texas ordered eight four-car FLIRT DMUs (diesel multiple units) for the launch of TEXRail commuter rail service in 2019. Work on the expansion project began in October 2024, following contract awards from Trinity Metro for four more DMUs and from Utah Transit Authority for up to 80 low-floor CITYLINK light rail vehicles for Salt Lake City’s TRAX modernization project.
Among Stadler’s other U.S. projects: 23 KISS EMUs (electric multiple units) are operating at Caltrain in California; a hydrogen fuel cell (HFC)-powered FLIRT H2 train is now running on Metrolink’s Arrow line between San Bernardino and Redlands, Calif., alongside existing FLIRT DMUs; and eight DMUs are being tested for Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) Silver Line commuter rail service. Also, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in 2019 awarded Stadler a contract to supply 127 two-car rapid transit trainsets with options for up to 50 additional sets, and in 2024 the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) exercised an option for six additional zero-emission HFC FLIRT H2 trainsets; Chicago’s Metra ordered eight two-car zero-emission, battery-electric (BE) single-level trainsets; and Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners selected Stadler and Siemens Mobility to provide railcars and signaling technology, respectively, for a rail proposal to ease congestion on the I-405 (Sepulveda) corridor between Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley and Westside.
Further Reading: Stadler Opens New U.S. Signaling Division Office
Don’t miss Light Rail 2025, to be presented by Railway Age and RT&S on Oct. 1-2 in Pittsburgh, Pa. It will offer a comprehensive review of the specialized technical, operational, environmental and socio-economic issues associated with light rail transit (LRT) in an urban environment. On Oct. 2, Hans Cruse, Sales Manager LRV/North American Streetcar Market for Stadler Rail, will be sharing a case study on “Green Technology Applications for Light Rail.”
