CANADA: Chinese rolling stock manufacturing group CRRC announced on May 5 that it plans to open a factory at Moncton in New Brunswick to produce wagons and braking systems for the North American market.

The plant would be a joint venture between Sichuan-based wagon builder CRRC Meishan, a CRRC subsidiary in Hong Kong and ARS Canada Rolling Stock Inc

ARS declined to discuss the project, but CRRC said it planned to assemble open, covered, flat and tank wagons at the plant, and provide after-sale services to customers in Canada. The Chinese company said the first phase of development would create more than 200 jobs, and generate more than C$1m/year in local tax revenue.

As well as supplying the Chinese domestic market, CRRC Meishan has exported more than 5 000 wagons to customers in countries including Argentina, Australia, Pakistan, Thailand, Venezuela and Zambia.