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*Oregon DOT orders two trainsets from Talgo-America*

On Friday, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced it
negotiated the purchase of two new passenger trains from Talgo-America for
$36.6 million. The 13-car trains will be used for Amtrak
Cascades<http://www.amtrakcascades.com/>service between Eugene, Ore.,
and Vancouver, British Columbia.

To be delivered in 2012, the trains will be assembled at a new Talgo plant
to be established in Milwaukee. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle is expected to
announce today that Talgo-America will create a train-building facility at a
former Tower Automotive Corp. plant in the city. Last year, the Wisconsin
DOT negotiated a $47.6 million deal with Talgo-America to build two 14-car
trains for Amtrak's Milwaukee-to-Chicago Hiawatha line. By pooling the train
purchase with Wisconsin, ODOT — which will use stimulus funds for the
transaction — saved about $6 million, according to the Oregon agency.

Amtrak currently provides service on the line with trains owned by the state
of Washington and Amtrak. But as Washington increases daily
Portland-to-Seattle service, trains no longer would be available to Oregon,
according to ODOT. The Oregon-owned trains will join five older
Talgo-America trainsets, of which Washington state owns three and Amtrak,
two.

“The commission’s decision to buy trains will assure continued
passenger-rail service in the Willamette Valley and provide the potential
for increased service in Oregon at some future date,” said ODOT Director
Matthew Garrett in a prepared statement.

Since 1994, Amtrak Cascades ridership has increased 823 percent.


Eric D. Schwerin

Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC

1010 Wisconsin Ave., NW

Suite 705

Washington, DC 20007

(202) 333-1880

[email protected] <[email protected]>

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