Discussion related to commuter rail and transit operators in California past and present including Los Angeles Metrolink and Metro Subway and Light Rail, San Diego Coaster, Sprinter and MTS Trolley, Altamont Commuter Express (Stockton), Caltrain and MUNI (San Francisco), Sacramento RTD Light Rail, and others...

Moderator: lensovet

  by R36 Combine Coach
 
BBD announced the opening of a new West Coast assembly plant in Pittsburg, CA in June, with production of BART cars to be transferred to Pittsburg from Plattsburgh as soon as the new plant is on line, as early as this fall. Plattsburgh is now at capacity, with the NJT Multilevels (series III) coming up and also export orders underway there.

WAMC Public Radio 6/20/19
Last Friday, Quebec-based rail car manufacturer Bombardier Transportation announced that it will open a new assembly plant in California. The facility is close to San Francisco — and the current contract Bombardier has to produce rail cars for the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District will be transferred from its Plattsburgh, New York facility to the West Coast. Bombardier officials announced the company is opening a new assembly plant in Pittsburg, California, about 50 miles from San Francisco, and the remainder of the BART work will be transferred there from Plattsburgh.

Officials in Plattsburgh do not appear worried about the loss of the BART contract at the northern New York plant. North Country Chamber President Garry Douglas says it’s a strategic move by the company, noting the Plattsburgh plant will remain the main manufacturing site. “The plant here is operating at full capacity. So it’s a logical response from Bombardier to look at the fact it’s maximized its capacity at Plattsburgh. It needs more capacity. Put that on the West Coast it’ll enhance competition in the western U.S. And at the end of the day for us here in Plattsburgh this is going to remain basically their U.S. rail headquarters.”
Commentary: BBD seems to be serious about expanding into a state that has been home turf for Siemens for at least some time now, while expanding presence into the Western States.
  by lensovet
 
Makes sense — they are woefully behind on fulfilling their BART contract and having the cars finished close by instead of having to ship them across the country can't hurt.
  by Nasadowsk
 
They also have lost favor with just about every transit agency in the east, save for NJT. The NY MTA won't touch them at all, now, after the R-179 fiasco.