FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) — A factory that employs hundreds of people manufacturing railroad cars in north Alabama is closing amid declining demand linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
FreightCar America announced Thursday it's shutting down its plant at Cherokee and plans to abandon the facility by early next year to consolidate operations in Mexico. A local official says the factory has about 500 workers.
A company statement says a depressed market for freight cars has gotten worse because of the global pandemic. The company will save mare than $20 million annually with the shutdown.