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Yesterday, GE Transportation announced plans to establish a new locomotive manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to meet accelerating global demand for motive power and other transportation equipment. The company expects to spend up to $96 million to build a state-of-the-art plant to manufacture, assemble and remanufacture its rail and transportation-related equipment, including fuel-efficient locomotives.

Production is scheduled to start by 2012 at the 900,000-square-foot facility. A site in Fort Worth is under consideration; the proposed location will become final pending local approvals, GE officials said in a prepared statement. The state of Texas plans to commit up to $4.2 million in incentives for the project through the Texas Enterprise Fund.
 
“GE Transportation is experiencing strong U.S. and global growth because of its technical leadership and we need to increase our manufacturing capacity and flexibility,” said GE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt, adding that the plant will “produce the world’s most advanced locomotives and transportation products,” and expand the company’s service and repair capabilities.

The new facility will create more than 500 high-tech manufacturing jobs, GE estimates. In addition, the company plans to expand the workforce at its Erie, Pa., locomotive manufacturing plant by hiring an additional 250 people.