Siemens opens North Carolina railcar plant in Lexington

Siemens railcar manufacturing plant in Lexington has formally opened in North Carolina. The project is backed by an investment of USD 220 million.

Government officials and rail industry leaders gathered at Siemens Mobility’s rail manufacturing and service center in Lexington as construction reached completion. Production is already underway. Siemens Mobility says the first locally built passenger railcars are due for delivery in the summer of 2026. First announced in March 2023, the project has now moved from construction into production ahead of those initial deliveries.

Siemens railcar manufacturing plant and Lexington production site

The Lexington facility is Siemens Mobility’s newest U.S. production site. It is intended to help meet rising nationwide demand for passenger rail transportation. The North Carolina railcar factory spans 200 acres and includes ten buildings, as Railway Supply also notes.

The site will manufacture Siemens Venture passenger railcars, described in the original text as among the most modern and innovative on the North American market. The factory was also designed with a dedicated rail bridge linked directly to the main line. That connection allows completed trains to be shipped efficiently to customers on the East Coast and in other regions.

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East Coast rail service hub and refurbishment work

The new Siemens Mobility Lexington facility will also serve as an East Coast rail service hub. It will provide maintenance and major repair support for bogies, locomotives and railcars. It may also service light rail vehicles in the future.

Once fully operational, the plant is expected to become the first facility in North America to offer both railcar and locomotive refurbishment. It will use advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, real-time analytics and augmented reality, to streamline operations, improve decision-making and support automated manufacturing.

“Siemens Mobility’s investment in North Carolina manufacturing underscores the importance of rebuilding America’s transportation infrastructure right here at home. The impact of this facility will be felt for decades, supporting passenger rail services such as Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor and helping to deliver modern, reliable trains for travelers across the country,” said Steven Bradbury, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Jobs, state support and wider U.S. investment

The North Carolina plant already employs more than 375 people. It remains on course to reach its target of creating 500 new jobs by 2028, strengthening the state economy and helping transform rail transportation across the country.

Located in Davidson County in the Piedmont Triad region, Lexington offers access to a strong workforce and key transport links. The project has received partial support through a Job Development Investment Grant from the state of North Carolina, which, according to the Office of the Governor, is estimated to add USD 1.6 billion to the state economy over a 12-year period. The Lexington site also reflects Siemens’ wider commitment to U.S. industry.

Across its business operations, Siemens has about 45,000 employees in the United States, works with 12,000 suppliers and runs 24 manufacturing facilities nationwide. Since 2007, the company has invested USD 700 million in U.S. manufacturing and more than USD 20 billion in its technology infrastructure to support the next stage of digital and data-driven transformation.

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