Automotive and aerospace manufacturers have been at the forefront of the lightweighting trend for some time now. But, they're not the only ones. The railway industry could also benefit from the use of new, lightweight structural materials.

MIAMI—Hitachi Ltd. has opened an assembly plant here—its first in the United States—to build commuter rail cars for the area.

SPRINGFIELD, MA—A Chinese company that is the largest manufacturer of passenger railroad cars in the world is going to build a $55 million, 125,000-square foot assembly plant here that could employ up to 300 people.

PALMDALE, CA—A Japanese company’s much-celebrated plans to build a light-rail manufacturing plant here appear all but dead after months of clashes with local labor unions and community groups. Kinkisharyo International said it is now looking at factory sites outside California.

ROCHELLE, IL—Nippon Sharyo USA has completed its rail car assembly plant here and will hire an additional 90 employees, bringing total employment at the facility to nearly 500.

PITTSBURGH—Siemens Rail Automation will expand its manufacturing and engineering operations here, in a move that will bring an additional 129 jobs.

ATLANTA—Trinity Industries Inc. will begin making railcars at its new assembly plant here.

SOREL-TRACY, Canada—Alstom has started building bogies for subway cars at a new assembly plant here.

WESTMINSTER, MD—Knorr Brake Corp., a manufacturer of braking systems for railcars, has installed an 865-kilowatt solar array on the roof of its assembly plant here. The system is expected to provide up to 60 percent of the plant’s energy requirements.

ROCHELLE, IL—Nippon Sharyo’s passenger railcar assembly plant here will undergo a $54 million expansion, creating about 80 permanent local jobs.