MBTA Subway Car Delivery Faces Uncertainty Amid Forced Labor Examination

the ongoing modernization of the MBTA’s Red and Orange Lines has hit a critically important snag, with eight new subway car shells currently detained at the port of Philadelphia. Federal customs and Border Protection agents are investigating whether forced labor was involved in the manufacturing process of these vehicles, which are produced by China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC).

The car shells, manufactured in China, are a part of a 2014 contract for 284 new Red and Orange Line cars. While the shells are assembled in Western Massachusetts before passenger service, their import has been flagged by customs agents since June, marking the first such detainment since the contract began. CRRC spokesperson Lydia rivera stated that the company has conducted rigorous compliance reviews and asserts that no entity involved in these shipments is linked to violations of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention act (UFLPA).

The UFLPA,enacted in 2021,aims to block goods produced using forced labor from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China from entering the U.S. CRRC leadership is actively responding to customs agents’ inquiries regarding compliance with this act. Rivera emphasized the company’s commitment to openness and stated that production at the Springfield facility continues, with no immediate impact on the delivery schedule.

MBTA General Manager Phil Eng confirmed that there are sufficient car shells in springfield to maintain workforce operations through the end of the year. Though, he acknowledged that a clearer picture of the overall schedule’s impact will emerge once the investigation is resolved. “We really do believe that CRRC is going to be able to answer these questions, and ensure that we can continue production,” Eng commented.

Eli Friedman, a professor of global labor and work at Cornell University, highlighted the challenges associated with the UFLPA. He explained that the act requires companies sourcing from Xinjiang to prove their goods are not made with forced labor, a task he described as “famously difficult” due to the extensive supply chain scrutiny required.

In the interim, the MBTA is pausing further shipments of train shells from China to the U.S.as CRRC addresses the ongoing questions from Customs and Border Protection. Eng indicated that a better understanding of the situation’s impact will be available once CRRC finalizes its third round of responses to CBP.