There was a celebration Oct. 9 at the downtown Yonkers plant of Kawasaki Rail Car, a U.S. subsidiary of Japan-based Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The company marked the milestone of manufacturing 5,000 railcars in the U.S. market. Kawasaki’s facility at 29 Wells Ave. includes 150,000 square feet for manufacturing. In addition to building new cars it also is equipped for overhauls, rehabilitations and static and dynamic function testing of all types of rail cars.
Government officials joined officials from Kawasaki as well as workers at the Yonkers plant for the occasion.
Kawasaki has delivered 3,783 railcars, 76% of its total 5,000-car output, for use in the New York Metro area. This has included 2,456 cars for New York City subways, 474 cars for the Metro-North Railroad and 336 cars for the Long Island Rail Road.
“Established in Japan over a century ago, Kawasaki has left indelible tracks across the landscape of global railway history,” said Ambassador Mikio Mori, consul general of Japan in New York. “By selecting Yonkers more than four decades ago for its rail car manufacturing facility, Kawasaki demonstrated a commitment to the success and prosperity of New York State.”
Janno Lieber, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) chairman and CEO said, “Over the past four decades Kawasaki has been a reliable partner to the MTA, manufacturing thousands of reliable cars for our customers. The company has been integral to the decades-long turnaround of the subway system and the 2025-29 Capital Plan recently adopted by the MTA Board calls for even greater investment in new subway and commuter rail cars.”
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano expressed appreciation to Kawasaki for having “played an integral role in supporting a thriving downtown waterfront by providing thousands of good-paying jobs and supporting small businesses in the surrounding area. I am so pleased to have Kawasaki as part of the city’s fabric for decades to come.”
According to Deputy Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, “Kawasaki has been a proud partner of Westchester County, and particularly Yonkers, for decades, strengthening our economy and creating well-paying jobs for our residents. We thank Kawasaki not only for their lasting commitment to the people of Westchester, but also for helping us reach our destinations with comfort, style and safety.”
“This is an important milestone for Kawasaki,” said Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc. President and COO Yusuke Hirose. “We are proud of our history in working with New York State, the MTA, Westchester County, the City of Yonkers and all of our customers and vendors to power the region’s economy and deliver safety, reliability and comfort time and time again. Kawasaki looks forward to serving the MTA regions and transit authorities in the northeast corridor for many years to come.”
