16 March 2016
Miami/Tokyo/Naples, Italy / (March 16, 2016) --- Hitachi Rail USA, the American subsidiary of Hitachi Rail Italy, is pleased to announce the completion of a manufacturing facility for Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works’ new Metrorail vehicles.
VIPs from left to right: Maurizio Manfellotto, CEO, Hitachi Rail Italy, Kentaro Masai, Chief Operating Officer, Hitachi Rail Global, Honorable Daniella Levine Cava, Board of County Commissioners, District 8, Honorable Gloria Bellelli, Consul General, Italian Republic, Roberto Martell, Mayor of Medley, Florida, Honorable Carlos A. Gimenez, Mayor, Miami-Dade County, Giampaolo Nuonno, CEO, Hitachi Rail USA, Charles Scurr, Executive Director, Citizens Independent Transportation Trust, Alice N. Bravo, P.E., Director, Department of Transportation and Public Works.
The 140,400 square-feet plant, located in Medley, FL., will manufacture 136 cars and 272 motor bogies (it is the structural subassembly which is accommodating wheels, axles, motor and gear box) needed to replace the County’s Metrorail fleet. The Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works contracted the production to Hitachi Rail. The plant was completed in approximately six months and received the Certificate of Occupancy the first week of January 2016.
The assembly of the Metrorail vehicles begins this March, and the first completed vehicles will begin the qualification-testing phase by the end of the year. The first new Metrorail vehicles will be put into service in late 2017, after completing the testing phase. The production of the new Metrorail vehicles will last until the first half of 2019.
The construction of this new Hitachi production site involved more than 50 sub-contractors and suppliers, principally based in Miami-Dade County or in South Florida, and required the development of almost 50,000 man-hours of construction.
“This is the first facility that Hitachi Rail is opening in the United States, and we’re excited that the company has chosen to invest in our world-class community,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez. “The opening of this production facility is projected to create 100 jobs in Miami-Dade County and many local subcontracts. We look forward to working with Hitachi to put our residents to work, further diversify our economy, and deliver cleaner, safer, more reliable and convenient mobility options to our 2.6 million residents.”
"The production system that has been prepared for Miami allows us to achieve high performance and build modern vehicles that meet the needs of the transportation fleet for Miami-Dade County,” said Kentaro Masai, COO of Hitachi Rail, “Our primary goal is to ensure a quality product in a timely fashion.”
“The opening of this new site and the launch of the new fleet represent an important step in the expansion of our company,” said Maurizio Manfellotto, CEO of Hitachi Rail Italy. “We remain consistent in the creation of relevant products that meet the needs of our customers.” “This facility will enable us to increase our industrial capacity and build a vehicle that meets the requested transportation needs,” adds Manfellotto. “Hitachi Rail has a great history in the United States and this project marks the beginning of the new direction under the management of the Hitachi Group.”
About Hitachi Rail USA Inc.
Hitachi Rail USA Inc. is the operating arm of Hitachi Rail Italy throughout North America. Headquartered in San Francisco, California; it is specializes in manufacturing, commissioning and warranty support of light and heavy rail cars.
About Hitachi Rail Italy S.p.A
Hitachi Rail Italy specializes in the manufacture of technologically advanced rolling stock. Created by the evolution of AnsaldoBreda, the most important Italian brand with more than 160 years of history in the rail and metro sector, Hitachi Rail Italy has a wide range of products, ranging from high speed to driverless metros. http://italy.hitachirail.com/en/.
About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.
For further Information please contact the Press Offices:
Karla Damien at kdamien@miamidade.gov | +1 786 4695420 for Miami-Dade County.
Tamie Nagamoto at tamie.nagamoto@hal.hitachi.com | +1 914 333 2987 for Hitachi
Alessandra Chiappetti alessandra.chiappetti.ext@hitachirail.com | phone + 1 212 228-4889 for Hitachi Rail Italy
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At Hitachi, green and digital innovation drives our mission as climate change innovators. Converging operational and information technologies, Hitachi is addressing societal and environmental challenges, shaping a greener, brighter tomorrow for all.
