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On Friday, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced the state reached an agreement with Spanish train manufacturer Talgo SA to provide two trainsets for Amtrak Hiawatha service and establish new assembly/maintenance facilities in Wisconsin that will support the delivery of Talgo trains throughout the nation.

The state will purchase the two 14-car trainsets from Talgo for $47 million and retain an option to buy two additional trainsets if Wisconsin obtains American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. The trainsets will feature seating capacity of 420 compared to a current capacity of 350 on Hiawatha service trains, which operate between Milwaukee and Chicago.

The locations of the assembly and maintenance facilities haven’t been determined, but sites are likely in south central or southeastern Wisconsin, state officials said in a prepared statement. The facilities will provide ongoing service for rail equipment used in the Midwest.

Aluminum alloy structural frame parts for Talgo trains will be manufactured in Spain and shipped to Wisconsin for assembly. Talgo — which currently operates a maintenance facility in Seattle that services Amtrak Cascades trains — will work with the state and U.S. vendors to supply parts for the trains.

“The company will use Wisconsin workers and skills to assemble and maintain Talgo trains,” said Doyle. “This relationship has the potential to create even more jobs, gives the state a major role in the growth of an exciting transportation industry and helps us move forward with our vision for high-speed rail service in the Midwest.”