Firm to rebuild rail cars at Mare Island location

Firm to rebuild rail cars at Mare Island location
By Jessica A. York/Times-Herald staff writer
Posted: 05/09/2009

A French-based transportation company that will cater to Amtrak's Capitol Corridor service has leased more than 112,000 square feet of Mare Island space.

Alstom Transportation will be required to maintain rail lines leading from its Mare Island base at the former shipyard Building 599, said Jason Keadjian, spokesman for island developer Lennar Mare Island.

The now idle rail line runs east across the Mare Island Causeway and then north for several miles, parallel to Broadway to the Flosden area.

"This is going to bring additional jobs to the community, it'll lease out another building on the island (and) it will help us with our CFD Community Facilities District)," Councilmember Tom Bartee said at the council meeting earlier this week.

Bartee added he hopes the company can bid on work for the proposed Bay Area high speed rail project.

Although the international company engages in a variety of transportation and energy-based ventures, the Mare Island office and manufacturing space, at 450 Pintado St., will at least initially specialize in railroad car refurbishing, Keadjian said.

He added that the company will bring a "significant investment" to Mare Island, including the estimated $1 million in joint Alstom-Lennar Mare Island repairs to the historic building and a connecting section of the railroad track.

The company is expected to bring 20 new jobs to the island, Keadjian said.

An Alstom spokesperson said he was unable to comment for this article without management approval.

A return of rail industry to Mare Island will come in the wake of California Northern Railroad's decision last year to discontinue freight and passenger service between Vallejo and American Canyon.

Until March 2008, four Mare Island companies were serviced with rail deliveries. Lennar Mare Island then discontinued the rail line it had managed since 2002, citing low usage and $11 million in needed track upgrades.

Building 599 was built in 1942, initially as a military metal storehouse and gun shop. It later stored ships being overhauled and, more recently, was used by Kinkisharyo International to manufacture Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority light rail cars.

An Alstom employee living on Mare Island recognized its potential for the company's use, Keadjian said.

Keadjian credited the joint efforts of Lennar Mare Island, Vallejo

Planning division staff and the Architectural Heritage and Landmarks Commission for effectively moving along the eight-month process that brought Alstom to the island.

Alstom Transportation at a glance
• Develops and markets railway systems, equipment and service
• Focused on transportation, light rail and energy infrastructure development
• Founded in 1928
• Based in France
• Employs 80,000 worldwide
• Present in 70 countries

Contact staff writer Jessica A. York at (707) 553-6834 or jyork@thnewsnet.com.