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‘Incredible opportunity’: Railcar maker coming to Horseheads with $60 million investment

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‘Incredible opportunity’: Railcar maker coming to Horseheads with million investment

The announcement that Siemens will build a facility in Horseheads and create 300 new jobs was called a “monumental accomplishment”: Local reaction.

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Local officials couldn’t come up with enough superlatives to describe Monday’s news that railcar manufacturer Siemens Mobility has chosen the HOST Terminal industrial park in Horseheads for a new high-speed railcar manufacturing facility, creating 300 new well-paying union jobs.

Sen. Charles Schumer stood in front of a vacant lot at the industrial park Monday afternoon to officially announce Siemens will build a 300,000-square-foot facility in that space to manufacture the American Pioneer 220 trainsets for Brightline West, which bills itself as the “only private provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity passenger rail service in America.”

Chemung County and Horseheads officials joined Schumer and leaders from Siemens, Brightline West and the International Association of Machinists for the announcement.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the community,” said Mark Margeson, chairman of the Chemung County Legislature and the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency. “Making the most of this opportunity is our job. I guarantee we’re going to work very hard to make this a success.”

What the new railcar facility will mean for the Southern Tier region

In addition to 300 permanent jobs, the decision by Siemens to locate its new high speed railcar manufacturing facility in Horseheads will initially mean plenty of construction jobs and a $60 million investment.

That sort of commitment will create a huge ripple effect, said Jennifer Herrick-McGonigal, president of the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce.

“The impact is tremendous. It’s jobs, it’s people moving here, it will support our towns,” Herrick-McGonigal said. “It will all lead to success for Chemung County and the region. We’re very excited for this project.”

Deputy Chemung County Executive Jennifer Furman said this project is the result of investments such as a new connector road and other improvements at the industrial park.

“We’re tremendously excited about it. Thanks to Siemens for recognizing the resources we have here in Horseheads,” Furman said. “Chemung County is thrilled to have you here. We’ll support you however we can.”

More: Horseheads lands new Siemens Mobility high-speed rail manufacturing facility, 300 jobs

What’s next for the high-speed rail project?

Site preparation work at the HOST Terminal location will get underway immediately, and development of the manufacturing facility should itself be fairly high speed, said Brightline CEO Michael Reininger.

Siemens and Brightline chose Horseheads because the site is shovel-ready, Reininger said.

“It will happen over the next 15 to 18 months. It will be construction jobs at first, then setting up the supply chain, then (permanent) employment,” he said. “One of the reasons we chose here is we can create facilities fast.”

Making it all happen will also take a lot of cooperation among various public and private entities, said Horseheads Mayor Kevin Adams, who said the village stands ready to assist any way it can.

“This monumental accomplishment will only be achieved when all levels of government work together,” Adams said. “Our 3.9-square-mile municipality is committed to being a good host to your facility.”

What happens in Horseheads over the next few years will reshape the transportation industry nationwide, said Schumer, who added all eyes will be on the Southern Tier.

“The future of high-speed rail will be built right here in upstate New York,” he said. “Our goal is to make the Southern Tier No. 1 in the railcar transit ecosystem in the whole country. And that’s going to mean great things.”

History of the HOST Terminal site in Horseheads

The Horseheads industrial park was established during World War II by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and was used to collect and store military supplies and equipment.

After the war, the facility was converted to an industrial site valued for its miles of rail line.

Over the years, the campus has gone by different names — The Holding Point, The Center at Horseheads, and most recently HOST Terminal.

Ohio Logistics, known locally as Southern Tier Logistics, became majority owner of the 182-acre property in January 2022, and began the process of upgrading the facility and attracting new tenants and jobs.

In August 2023, a new connector road provided a direct link from the HOST Terminal industrial park to Interstate 86 via state Route 13.

In March of this year, the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency was awarded a $4 million state grant to help make the site “shovel-ready,” including improvements to the existing rail, water, sewer and storm water infrastructure.

Existing tenants include Schlumberger, one of the world’s largest oilfield service businesses, a Federal Express warehouse, and U.S. Salt, among others.

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