HAGERSTOWN, Md. — The future of train manufacturing rolled into Hagerstown this week as Hitachi Rail opened a $100 million factory that's creating 500+ jobs and building railcars with AI-powered safety features.
Monday marked the grand opening of the 300,000 square-foot, next-generation train factory, which will immediately begin filling orders.
The factory will produce railcars featuring AI-powered video analytics with anti-collision and proximity alert technology for metro rail systems, including D.C. Metro and Baltimore Metro SubwayLink.
As part of its investment, Hitachi Rail dedicated more than $30 million for digital enhancements to make its Hagerstown factory the company’s most advanced.
The company is also going green in a big way. The factory will run entirely on clean energy – either from solar panels on the roof or renewable sources from the grid.
Hitachi is using its own AI system called H-Vision to track how much electricity and water the plant uses, helping cut down on waste. The company plans to plant more than 400 trees around the property and says the facility won't send any waste to landfills.
Governor Wes Moore met with Hitachi leadership during his first international trade mission to Japan and the Republic of Korea earlier this year to discuss opportunities to work together and advance economic competitiveness.
