Chinese rail company China CNR won a US$566.6 million Massachusetts state contract on Wednesday to build 284 subway cars for the Boston subway.

Chinese rail company China CNR wins a Massachusetts state contract on Oct. 22, 2014 to build 284 subway cars for the Boston subway. [China.org.cn]

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation's board of directors voted unanimously to approve a contract with CNR MA Corporation to manufacture and deliver 284 new rail cars for the Red and Orange Lines, replacing decades-old vehicles.

The contract with CNR MA will include the purchase of 152 new Orange Line Vehicles and 132 new Red Line vehicles to replace the 44-year old Red Line cars and 32-year old Orange Line cars. The new cars will feature increased capacity and additional seating, wider and electrically operated doors, four handicap-accessible areas per car, LED lighting, modern HVAC systems and advanced passenger information and announcement systems.

CNR MA is a joint venture of China Changchun Railway Vehicles and China CNR Corporation Limited, the world's largest railcar maker. The project would be its first in North America, making CNR the first and only Chinese railway transportation equipment company to win a project contract in the United States.

According to the website of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the design process will take approximately three years for the Orange Line cars and an additional 15 months for the Red Line cars. Pilot cars for the Orange Line are scheduled to be delivered in early 2018, and the Red Line pilot cars will be delivered about a year later. The cars will be delivered at a rate of approximately four cars per month between winter 2018 and winter 2021 for the Orange Line and between fall 2019 and spring 2021 for the Red Line. The new cars are expected to run for 30 years.

"This is a critical investment in the future of public transportation in Greater Boston and in the economic wellbeing of Western Massachusetts," said Governor Deval Patrick. "It will open up opportunities for the residents of the Pioneer Valley by creating quality construction and manufacturing jobs that will propel growth in the region for years to come."

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