BandA wrote:
I don't understand why the "T" passed over the feddybucks. I thought all rolling stock and most buses were purchased with some sort of federal funding.
This was done to jump-start a railcar manufacturing industry in western MA and, at the same time, boost the economy in that region. If you want to get political, I think the underlying reason this was done was to give the politicians from western MA an incentive to fund this project.
BandA wrote:
In the comments for that article, someone alludes to a deal that Chicago got from CRRC-MA that is better than what MA got? Or did they get a better deal from a different company?
The CTA 7000 series are being manufactured by CSR Sifang, one "arm" of CRRC. I'm not so sure that the CTA got a better deal because CSR is less reputable than CNR Changchun. In fact, CSR bid on the MBTA contract and was disqualified after the technical review.
BandA wrote:
So I guess CRRC absorbs any steel tariff costs. Additional sanctions might be more problematic, but if CRRC can save money by substituting domestic parts they will, and that would be a win for the US
Most of the sub-systems are already being provided by non-Chinese companies. To my knowledge, only the carbody shells are coming from China. There is a minimum 60% domestic content requirement in the contract and CRRC has exceeded that. The trucks (bogies) are coming from Bradken (formerly Atchison Casting) and most of the electrical and traction sub-systems are provided by Mitsubishi Electric (MELCO).