U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL – 02) recently visited CRRC’s railcar manufacturing facility on Chicago’s South Side for a behind-the-scenes tour featuring the new state-of-the-art 7000 Series railcars being built for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA).
“It was truly an honor to have Representative Kelly visit our facility,” said Yiguang Geng, CRRC president. “We are incredibly proud of the work being completed by our production team and are always happy to have the opportunity to exhibit the process of how the 7000 Series railcars are built in Chicago.”
While touring the facility, Rep. Kelly viewed all the essential steps for building the 7000 Series railcars, going inside an unfinished railcar and even seeing a new railcar in action on the test track. The new railcars will replace half of CTA’s current fleet.
CRRC’s facility is located in Illinois’s second congressional district, which Rep. Kelly represents. Of the more than 200 employees who currently work at the manufacturing facility, approximately 50 employees live in the Representative’s district, many of whom had the opportunity to meet the Representative.
Employees explained their unique roles at CRRC, demonstrating how each individual job plays an integral step in the manufacturing process for the 7000 Series railcars. Rep. Kelly was excited to learn about how CRRC brought railcar manufacturing jobs back to Chicago’s Southeast Side, which was historically home to numerous railcar factories, including the U.S. Rolling Stock Company and the Pullman Company.
CRRC is proud to employ over 200 workers at the Chicago facility, with the majority of employees residing in the city. Bringing manufacturing jobs back to Chicago is one CRRC’s top priorities, which is why the company has spent nearly $4.5 million on employee training since opening in 2017.
CRRC is excited to continue working with Rep. Kelly on the shared goals of continuing to create manufacturing jobs for Chicagoans.
“Everyone at CRRC was eager to show Rep. Kelly the manufacturing work happening here in Chicago,” Geng said. “We are looking forward to rolling out more Series 7000 railcars and are delighted to have Rep. Kelly’s support for this important project.”