CRRC has bored its way into Australia’s metro just as it has begun to do so in the US.
China’s state-owned, controlled and subsidized China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) is encountering delays (of at least a year) and technical issues in manufacturing rail cars promised to Melbourne, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Sound familiar? Yeah, to us, too.
Frankly, it’s no surprise that CRRC is failing to deliver on its promises Down Under. After all, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has seen multiple delays in the completion of the trains it ordered from the company and some scary technical problems have emerged for the trains that have been delivered.
As disappointing as these delays are, they’re hardly the worst part of the deal.
Just as in the United States, taxpayer dollars are being used in Australia to fund Melbourne’s CRRC contract, but the bulk of the work of these trains appears to be going to China despite initial assurances that local jobs would be supported by the project. In Melbourne, more and more or CRRC’s work for the transit system appears to be offshored to China, leaving local rail workers out in the cold. Unfortunately, it’s increasingly apparent that this is CRRC’s m.o. and just another part of China’s strategy to undercut local manufacturers to seize dominance.
On paper, CRRC claims to support the local economy through its contract with MBTA. But, in actuality, the bulk of that work is done in China with “assembly” in the U.S. to pay lip service to its original promises.
Thankfully, more and more people are waking up to the ruse CRRC has long perpetuated and demanding action.
Are you as fed up with this nonsense as we are? Tell Congress to put a stop to China’s attempts to undermine the U.S. transit system and American manufacturers.