Siemens to open rail services center in California

Siemens this month will open a new 60,000-square-foot plant solely dedicated to rail service, maintenance and repair operations, the company announced yesterday.

Located in McClellan Park, Calif., the new site will be the Siemens Mobility Customer Services U.S. headquarters and West Coast logistics hub, company officials said in a press release. The facility will house the company's rail refurbishment operations, rail bogie service center, accident repair, spare parts delivery and administrative offices.

"We're thrilled to expand our already significant footprint in the Sacramento region with the opening of this new rail service facility," said Chris Maynard, head of Customer Service for Siemens Mobility. "This expansion signals our dedication to servicing and modernizing rail systems across North America while continuing to deliver industry-leading manufacturing expertise, ensuring that our customers can continue to make the most of their rail systems."

The new facility will complement Siemens' existing rail manufacturing operations in south Sacramento, company officials said. The manufacturing plant has been in operation for nearly three decades and includes a recent 125,000-square-foot expansion to accommodate growing production needs.

The service center will begin operations this month and will employ more than 30 people.

One of the first projects at the new facility will be a $21 million contract to modernize 32 SD160 light-rail vehicles for Calgary Transit in Alberta, Canada. The project includes upgrading passenger information systems for better interoperability across the fleet, improved wheel-set systems for easier maintenance, updated flooring and seating, and modernizations to the operators' cab interior and dash.