Alstom Opens Plant 4 Manufacturing Facility in Hornell, N.Y.
Alstom previously manufactured this type of car body shell for U.S. projects at its facility in Brazil. The investment in Plant 4, the company says, “reshores production in the U.S. and cements Hornell’s position as the largest passenger train manufacturing site in the country and reaffirms the Southern Tier of New York as the nation’s center of rail excellence. It will also strengthen domestic supply chains for the U.S. rail industry.”
Plant 4 is dedicated to the late James W. Griffin, former Executive Director of the City of Hornell Industrial Development Agency, who fought for Hornell’s status as a national center of rail excellence and for the rail industry as a vital job creator for the region.
The high-tech facility, which is set to begin production on 200 multilevel commuter rail cars for Chicago’s Metra system, “marks the latest chapter in Alstom’s ongoing commitment to American manufacturing excellence and to creating high-quality jobs in New York’s Southern Tier,” the company noted.
Alstom invested $75 million and worked with 40 contractors to build and outfit its Plant 4 facility. The project was supported by grant, job credit and tax credit programs from federal, state and local agencies, including the New York Empire State Development, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), City of Hornell Industrial Development Agency, the U.S. Department of Treasury CDFI Fund, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, New York State Electric & Gas, and the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration.
The car body manufacturing process involves welding together primary parts to create assemblies as long as 80 feet. At Plant 4, automated welding robots will be used to make sure tens of thousands of welds are precise within one millimeter. This, Alstom says, is made possible by using state-of-the–art AI technology that allows robots to work together safely, efficiently, and accurately. “As a result, transit authority customers will benefit from enhanced quality and lower cost of production,” the company said.
According to Alstom, this expansion at the company’s Hornell site is expected to create 258 new jobs, including those in mechatronics engineering and robotics-related fields, while helping to retain 390 existing jobs.
“When we invest in American manufacturing, we create good jobs that have a ripple effect across the entire region. We’re not just building trains—we are creating opportunities in Hornell and across the country,” said Michael Keroullé, President of Alstom Americas. “Plant 4 upholds our long-standing commitment to making trains in America, and it expands our ability to deliver cutting-edge rail solutions for our customers. We thank Governor Hochul and all our state, local and federal partners for their support.”
