Schumer questions Chinese train makers

WASHINGTON — The Senate’s top Democrat is calling on the federal government to step in and investigate whether a plan for new subway cars in New York City designed by a Chinese state-owned company could pose a threat to national security.

Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said in a statement that he’s asked the Commerce Department to conduct a “topto-bottom review” after CRRC, one of the world’s largest train makers, won a design contest for new subway cars that would include “modern train control technology.”

The company hasn’t won a contract in New York City, which has America’s biggest transit system, but it has been awarded contracts in recent years for new subway cars in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia.

A subisiary of the company, CRRC MA, is building Orange and Red Line cars for the MBTA at a factory in Springfield.

In the last few years, China has pushed to dominate the U.S. rail car market, a multibillion-dollar industry. CRRC is also believed to be pursuing a $500 million contract with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in Washington, D.C.

Security experts and members of Congress have raised the alarm about CRRC because it is owned by the Chinese government, warning of prior cyberthreats and hacking attacks linked to Chinese intelligence officials.

State Rep. Shawn Dooley, a Norfolk Republican, has been raising concerns about the company for months.

“Do you honestly think they can’t put some sort of chip in there somewhere?” Dooley told the Herald in January. “This Trojan horse concept isn’t new — it’s been around for thousands of years.”

A spokesman for CRRC Sifang America — the company’s arm in Chicago — said a majority of the components used in its new rail cars come from U.S. companies and said concerns about spying or malware are misplaced. The rail cars meet specific requirements set by the transit agencies, the manufacturer doesn’t control the cyber components it installs and it is “not possible” for the company to implant malware in the system, he said.

“There is no evidence of a passenger railcar manufacturer, including CRRC, installing any type of new technology that could intentionally open passenger railcars to cyberthreats or pose a threat to commuters and national security,” spokesman Dave Smolensky said. “CRRC is eager to address any concerns Senator Schumer has and we welcome an inquiry regarding our U.S. operations.”

The Commerce Department did not immediately comment on Sunday.

CHRISTOPHER EVANS / HERALD STAFF FILE OFF THE RAILS? CRRC, a company owned by the Chinese government that is making rail cars for the MBTA's Orange Line at its factory in Springfield, has been questioned over potential security threats that could be built into the trains.