European Giant GHH-Bonatrans Commits $93M to Launch Its First US Wheelset Plant

The GHH-Bonatrans factory planned for Wayland will be its first North American production site. The European rail component manufacturer will locate the facility in Steuben County, New York. The site is roughly midway between Rochester and Elmira. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The company is headquartered in Czechia and Germany. It will invest as much as $93 million in the Wayland Business Park facility. The figure appears in an announcement from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Construction is expected to begin later this year. Operations are projected to begin in late 2028.

“This investment by GHH-Bonatrans shows that when we support shovel-ready sites, strengthen our infrastructure and make strategic investments in our communities, we can attract world-class manufacturers, create good jobs and grow the economy in every corner of our state,” Hochul said in a press release.

GHH-Bonatrans factory and North American production

The new plant is expected to create up to 85 jobs. Bonatrans North America is set to receive as much as $1.25 million. The support will come through New York’s performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program. Also, Steuben County will provide support.

Meanwhile, the Wayland site will bring production closer to North American customers. For example, they include railroad operators, rolling stock manufacturers, and maintenance providers.

“Establishing manufacturing operations in Wayland reflects our commitment to supporting customers closer to where they operate — in New York State, across the United States, and throughout the broader North American region,” said Bonatrans North America CEO Jirí Kaleta. “Proximity enables better understanding of local needs, faster response times, and the ability to deliver solutions that create real value for our partners.”

POWER UP grant to support Wayland Business Park

In addition, the facility is supported by a $16.9 million state POWER UP grant. The grant was awarded to the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency. The POWER UP program is formally Promote Opportunity With Electric Readiness for Underdeveloped Properties. It is intended to develop electric infrastructure at industrial sites.

With the grant, the Steuben County IDA will extend an electrical line 6 miles. The line will run from a substation to the 152-acre business park. The work will provide access to 6 megawatts of power. Capacity would rise to as much as 21 megawatts after future upgrades.

Upstate New York rail manufacturing cluster

Separately, the new factory will be about 22 miles from Alstom plants in Hornell, New York. It will also be about 60 miles from the Siemens factory in Horseheads, New York. That factory is now under construction.

Said Hope Knight, CEO of Empire State Development: “Next-generation railway manufacturing remains a critical industry for Upstate New York, and Bonatrans North America’s expansion will further strengthen the Southern Tier’s transportation cluster.”

GHH-Bonatrans produces wheelsets, wheels, and axles. Its wider product range also includes related components such as brake pads and discs. Further information is available on the company’s website.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed: