American Railcar Industries, Inc. has announced plans to build a new flexible railcar manufacturing plant adjacent to its tank railcar manufacturing plant in Marmaduke, Ark.
Construction on the new plant is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2006.
The new plant will be capable of producing tank, covered hopper, and intermodal railcars. It is projected to have an initial capacity to produce 2,500 tank railcars annually, with railcar production expected to begin in early 2008.
This plant would be in addition to the tank railcar expansion currently underway at Marmaduke to increase capacity by 1,000 tank railcars annually.
ARI also announced that it has signed new railcar orders with two customers to purchase a total of 2,000 railcars per year in 2008 and 2009. One of these customers has options to purchase up to an additional 2,000 railcars.
Current plans are for these new orders to be produced at the new plant.