Alstom Transport invests $3 million in Rochester facility expansion

In the last year, Alstom has invested more than $3 million to enhance its 150,000 square foot rail signaling manufacturing facility in West Henrietta, N.Y., enabling the site to accommodate approximately 200 new jobs. "As gas prices rise and families look for environmentally-friendly transportation alternatives, President Obama is committed to making sure our freight and passenger rail networks move people and goods more quickly and efficiently than ever before," said Deputy Secretary John Porcari. "Thanks to companies like Alstom, American workers are building the rail lines and equipment that will allow us to compete and win in the global economy." In addition to benefits realized through job creation linked to projects throughout the U.S., New York received several direct investments through the recent round of federal rail funding. These included $295 million to alleviate delays for trains traveling the Northeast Corridor in and out of Manhattan, $58 million to upgrade tracks, stations and signals along the state's Empire Corridor and $1.4 million for a new intermodal station in Rochester. Over the past six months, Alstom has secured several large-scale transportation projects valued at well over $300 million. Among these are an upgraded signaling and train control system for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, as well as a complete overhaul and modernization of 120 rail for the Delaware River Port Authority's PATCO system. Alstom also marked several recent milestones in its North American signaling activities, including receipt of the first Federal Railroad Administration type approval for U.S. deployment of a fully-functional PTC system. Guillaume Mehlman, Alstom Transport's managing director in North America, said, "Alstom has seen first-hand how federal and state investments in rail transportation projects help companies like ours create good jobs. We are expanding our facility in Rochester and hiring several hundred people in order to meet additional demand created by such investments. We applaud federal, state and local policy makers who see the linkage between investing in the nation's rail transportation system and creating good jobs."