US Railcar

US Railcar is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock, including passenger cars, and diesel multiple units. It was formed in 2009, and is the successor company to Colorado Railcar after that company shut down in December 2008.

US Railcar
IndustryRailcar manufacturing
Founded2009
HeadquartersColumbus, OH, USA
Key people
Barry Fromm, president/CEO[1]
ProductsPassenger cars, diesel multiple units
Websitewww.usrailcar.com

History

US Railcar's predecessor, Colorado Railcar, ceased operations on 23 December 2008 because of a "major liquidity problem".[2] The business remained closed until July 2009 when a group of investors, part of the Value Recovery Group (VRG), purchased the assets of Colorado Railcar and renamed the company US Railcar.[3] The new company operated as a subsidiary of VRG, with the headquarters of both companies located in Columbus, Ohio.[1]

On 18 February 2010, US Railcar announced that it had formed a joint venture with American Railcar Industries, dubbed US Railcar Company LLC, to better "design, manufacture, and sell Diesel Multiple Units."[1] On 19 November 2010, however, the two companies announced the dissolution of the venture, citing "current market conditions"[4] as the reason. The National Association of Railroad Passengers speculated that the cause of the failure of the joint venture was the cancellation of the proposed 3-C passenger corridor in Ohio.[5]

Facilities

US Railcar currently operates no construction facilities; any products ordered from the company would be built by American Railcar under contract.[4] The company plans to construct a facility in Gahanna, Ohio, near the Port Columbus International Airport, which would be built with a mix of public and private funds.[6] US Railcar applied for an $8.7 million grant from the federal government, but the application was denied.[6] The state of Ohio has offered the company $3.6 million in financial assistance, and private investment would provide the remainder of the necessary money to build the factory, estimated to cost around $14 million.[7] If constructed, the proposed facility would be around 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) in size and would be located on thirteen acres (5.3 ha) of land.[8] It would employ up to 200 people.[8]

Products

US Railcar offers diesel multiple units in both single- and bi-level versions, as well as unpowered railcars in single- and bi-level versions.[9] The single-level DMUs have a passenger capacity of 94, while the bi-level models can carry 188 passengers.[9] Both types are equipped with two 600-horsepower (0.45 MW) Detroit Diesel engines for propulsion.[9] The single-level railcars have a capacity of 102 people, while the bi-level cars can seat 218.[9] The company also offers unpowered luxury railcars, dubbed the "Ultradome."[10]

See also

References
  1. "US Railcar LLC". BusinessWeek. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  2. "Colorado Railcar shuts doors". Trains Magazine. 29 December 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  3. "US Railcar to Resume Production of Former Colorado Railcar DMU". PR Newswire. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  4. "US Railcar joint venture partner pulls out". Columbus BusinessFirst. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  5. "Nov 24, 2010: Hotline #682". National Association of Railroad Passengers. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  6. "Gahanna rail plant's prospects delayed as backers try new routes". Columbus Business First. 1 March 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  7. "U.S. Railcar LLC hopes to build a $14 million factory outside Columbus". Cleveland.com. 10 September 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  8. "Statement of Michael Pracht President and Chief Executive Officer US Railcar LLC before the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, & Hazardous Materials United States House of Representatives" (PDF). Committee on Transportation (US House) and Infrastructure. 14 October 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  9. "US RAILCAR DMU SPECS". US Railcar. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  10. "Unique One of a Kind Luxury". US Railcar. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
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