Senator seeks rail technology probe

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. Chuck Schumer of New York said Sunday that he’s asked the Commerce Department to conduct a “top-to-bottom review” after CRRC won a design contest for new subway cars that would include “modern train control technology.”

The company already has been awarded contracts in recent years for new subway cars in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia. The New York contest was designed to bring out new ideas for future projects but did not lead to contracts for new subway cars.

Security experts and members of Congress have raised the alarm about CRRC because it is owned by the Chinese government. They fear allowing the company to install technology in America’s rail system could potentially expose it to cyberespionage and sabotage.

Schumer’s call for an investigation comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China after trade talks between the two nations broke up earlier this month without an agreement. President Trump recently signed an order that empowers the government to ban American telecommunication companies from installing foreign-made equipment and technology that could pose a threat to national security.

A spokesman for CRRC Sifang America — the company’s arm in Chicago — said concerns about spying or malware are misplaced. Michael Balsamo is an Associated Press writer.