Assembly work will begin on the two high-speed train sets ordered by the state of Wisconsin within the next two weeks, a Talgo spokesperson told BizTimes late last week.
The components are now being shipped from Spain. Because they are being sent via in cargo containers onboard a transport ship, Talgo does not know exactly when the pieces will arrive in Milwaukee.
The train sets will be assembled in a renovated space inside the former Tower Automotive site on Milwaukee’s northwest side. The company’s work to renovate the interior and exterior of a 133,000 square foot facility on the Tower site is nearly complete, said Nora Friend, a Talgo spokesperson.
When it is fully operational, Talgo expects to employ about 125 workers in assembling and maintaining the train sets there. Talgo hopes to assemble other train sets in the facility, as part of President Barack Obama’s high speed rail initiative. That plan calls for about 65 new high speed train sets that would be used throughout the Midwest.