留美幼童百年輪迴：美國員工來華學造地鐵，春田市長隆重歡送

當年8月，受清政府選派的30名幼童，

從上海出發前往美國學習。

他們當中，有後來成為鐵路先驅的詹天佑。

當年9月，他們抵達康涅狄格河畔的Springfield（春田）。

在此學習英語，了解當地文化。

時隔145年後的2017年4月7日。

33名來自美國馬薩諸塞州的員工，

從康涅狄格河畔的布萊德國際機場出發。

他們是中車Springfield（春田）工廠的員工。

在此，他們已經學習了簡單的中文。

此行，他們前往學習造捷運。

百年輪迴，

開始捷運製造技術的對美輸出，

中美共促軌道交通發展的時代已經來臨。

當地政府隆重歡送員工們的「東方之旅」。

春田市市長DomenicJ. Sarno（薩諾）親自駕車到機場送行。

（左為美國中車麻省公司副總經理賈波，右為春田市市長薩諾）

機場準備了豐盛的早餐為他們餞行

他們此行的目的地是位於長春的中車長客股份公司。

Rail car maker CRRC MA sends workers to China for training

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. -- A contingent of 33 employees from Springfield-based rail car builder CRRC MA prepared to depart Friday for three months of training at the company's sprawling operations in China.

The trip, called a technology transfer, is another step toward establishing the still-under-construction Springfield plant. The 204,000-square-foot, $95 million facility will be CRRC's beachhead in the growing North American market for rail and transit cars, including the new Red Line and Orange line cars for Boston's MBTA that are the plant's first order of business.

"Production starts right away wen we get back," said John Jedziniak, a union sheet metal worker from Agawam who's been a CRRC employee for about a week. "They want to start making cars before the end of this year."

First CRRC employees ready to go to China for training on subway rail cars

The massive CRRC rail car factory in East Springfield will be completed in a few months.

He said he's excited to learn new skills from his new employer -- not that the opportunity is without sacrifices, though. He has a 3-year-old daughter at home.

"There were tears," he said.

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno made a point of thanking the workers' families during the sendoff at Bradley International Airport Friday morning.

"Workforce pioneers, that's what you are," Sarno said. "It's back to the future with establishing manufacturing in Springfield and you are a big part of that."

Airline snafus delayed the expected departure times. But CRRC plans to send the workers off in groups over the next few days. It's a 30-hour flight, from Bradley to Detroit, Detroit to China, and another hop in China.

They need to move quickly. Sarno said Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker wants the CRRC-built MBTA subway cars on the rails "yesterday".

"We hope we can give Governor Baker what he wants," said CRRC MA Vice President Jia Bo.

CRRC

CRRC, a unit of the Chinese national railways, is the largest manufacturer of rail cars and equipment in the world.

CRRC built its factory at the old Westinghouse site in East Springfield to fulfill a $566 million contract it received in 2014 from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to manufacture 284 cars for the Red and Orange lines on Greater Boston's subway system.

After that the MBTA awarded CRRC a $277 million contract to build an additional 120 Red Line cars starting in 2022. This most recent deal includes an option to purchase 14 more cars in addition to the 120.

CRRC also has deals in place to make 64 new subway cars for Los Angeles, at a cost of $178.4 million, with an option for 218 more.

CRRC's most recent deal is to build 45 train cars for SEPTA, Philadelphia's transit system, for $137.5 million.

"It's a great opportunity," said Demetrius Wilson of Springfield, another sheet metal worker who is headed to China.

He was hired in March as a maintenance production supervisor.

His next three months will be a mix of classroom training and hands-on work at the CRRC plant in Changchun, Jilin Province, building building early-model Orange line cars side-by-side with Chinese employees.

"Its something completely different for me," he said. "It's a totally new experience."

All told, CRRC expects to have about 200 production workers in Springfield. CRRC said production jobs will pay $55,000 to $60,000 a year.

中新社波士頓4月5日電 題：企業進駐美國老工業城：一個「很不錯的開始」

中新社記者 馬德林

「要到學習三個月，我的家人挺捨不得我的。他們也有點擔心，因為我還從來沒到外國生活這麼長時間。」中車集團麻省公司斯普林菲爾德工廠的一位工人泰米·凡西妮5日對中新社記者如是說，「但他們知道這次機會對我來說很重要，所以都全力支持我。我很期待在長春的學習。」

2015年，中車集團在斯普林菲爾德市投資建立的捷運組裝廠破土動工。目前這家工廠已經在本地招聘了第一批30名員工，泰米就是其中一員。

斯普林菲爾德市，意為「春天的田野」(Springfield)位於馬薩諸塞州西部。這裡不僅是籃球運動的發源地，也是美國一座歷史悠久的工業城，著名的斯普林菲爾德兵工廠就在此地，這裡生產出的步槍伴隨美軍士兵經歷了兩次世界大戰的硝煙。

隨著戰爭的結束，兵工廠於1964年關閉，斯普林菲爾德輝煌的一頁也翻了過去。在這裡生活了40多年的泰米告訴記者，從上世紀六七十年代開始，斯普林菲爾德的工業逐漸凋敝，「當我還是個孩子的時候，親眼看到這裡的工廠一家家關閉，我的許多朋友也跟家人一起離開了。」

工廠總經理馬克·史密斯介紹說，這座工廠投入生產後，可以為當地創造大約200個就業崗位，隨著業務的擴展，可能還會招聘更多的員工。「我們都希望這裡能夠重新煥發活力。」在他看來，中車集團的到來對這座老工業城來說，是一個「很不錯的開始」。

當記者5日上午抵達工廠的時候，泰米和她的同事們正在工廠會議室內接受漢語培訓。4月7日，他們將一同飛往吉林省長春市，在中車長春軌道客車股份有限公司的工廠中學習製造捷運的技術，為之後在美國的生產組裝工作做準備。回到美國后，他們將成為工廠的生產技術骨幹，並承擔起指導新員工的任務。

工程師安德魯·特金說，在得知要到長春學習后，他專門上網了解那裡工廠的情況，「我知道長客製造捷運的技術非常先進，一想到能在那裡學到新東西，我就很興奮。」

51歲的約翰·德羅瑞亞有二十多年鈑金工作經驗，他也是即將前往長春的工人之一。他和妻子育有兩個兒子，家庭幸福美滿。「儘管很快要分開一段時間，但我的家人還是很高興我能得到現在這份工作。」約翰說。

現在廠區內用作辦公樓的一棟三層紅磚樓房，原本是一家機車廠的廠房，已經有一百多年歷史。當中車麻省公司買下這片廠區時，原先的工廠早已倒閉，這座承載著斯普林菲爾德百餘年工業記憶的廠房也一直閑置。

如今，這棟百年老房被修繕一新。在它對面，一座佔地兩萬多平方米的廠房已經基本完工，有望在今年8月前後投入使用。那時，泰米、安德魯、約翰和其他員工就將在這座全新的工廠里工作。未來幾年裡，一輛接一輛供給波士頓的橙線和紅線捷運將經由他們的雙手組裝完成，從這裡駛出。(完)