On March 16th of American local time, CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd. held the new factory commencement ceremony in Chicago, America. It marks that the largest Chinese subway vehicle export project to the developed country has entered the overall construction phase. A new factory with the total investment of 100 million USD and covering an area of 275 mu will rise straight from the ground in Chicago.

    On March 2016, the Chicago Transportation Bureau announced that the CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd. won the bid of 846 subway vehicles in Chicago with the total amount of 1.3 billion USD. It is not only the largest railway vehicle purchase project in Chicago but also the project in which China will export the most subway vehicles to a developed country.

    According to the bilateral agreement, the subway vehicles manufactured by the CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd. for Chicago will be assembled locally and the localization rate will reach 60%. Therefore it contributes to the fact that the Chinese enterprise will establish a general assembly factory in Chicago. Located in an industrial park in south Chicago, covering an area of 275 mu and with the plant area of about 35,391 square meters, this new factory to be founded by CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd. will be the first subway vehicle manufacturing factory in Chicago in 36 years. The new factory will be completed on May 2018 and it will be put into use on November 2018 after finishing the equipment installation on October 2018. After being put into production, the annual output of subway vehicles will be no lower than 168 and at least 169 new job opportunities will be created for the local place. Liu Yongcheng, the general manager of CRRC Qingdao Sifang American Company, said: “The bogie installation, vehicle general assembly and debugging of the subway vehicles to be produced by this new factory will all be conducted locally.”

    By using the successful experience of developing a high cold-resistant motor train unit for Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-speed Railway and relying on the well-proven and advanced high cold-resistant technology, CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd. will manufacture subway vehicles in Chicago in the way to ensure safe operation of Chicago subway vehicles and passengers’ comfort. Lin Gang (On March 16th, guests attended the commencement ceremony in Chicago, America. Taken by Wang Ping）