WASHINGTON — Legislation proposed by Washington-area senators would authorize 10 years of funding for the DC Metro system — but only if Metro agrees not to buy rail cars from China.
The bill by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Va.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) would given Metro $150 million a year for capital expenses, the Washington Post reports. But the legislators are adding a provision that would prohibit contracts with firms based in China or other countries with laws requiring companies to cooperate with state intelligence or other government agencies.
The provision reflects concerns that China’s state-owned rail equipment company CRRC can underbid other manufacturers because of government subsidies, and that the equipment could be a platform for cyberespionage. [See “CRRC interest in Washington Metro contract raises cybersecurity concerns,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 26, 2019.]
CRRC is pursuing a contract to build up to 800 new railcars for Metro, a deal that could be worth more than $1 billion. A company spokesman dismissed the security concerns as “ludricrous.”
It would be the second such bill addressing concerns about Chinese transit equipment. Four senators introduced a bill in March that would prohibit any U.S. transit system from using federal funds to buy railcars or buses from Chinese companies, according to Eno Transportation Weekly.
