A subsidiary of the world's largest railcar maker in China - the China Railway Rolling Stock Corp Ltd - just broke ground on a $95 million manufacturing facility in Springfield, Massachusetts in the United States.

"There are many firsts here in Massachusetts," said Yu Weiping, vice-president of CRRC, at the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday. "One is being home to the US' first subway, and now this is a first for us in the US."

Yu was joined by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Liu Yi, commercial counselor from the Chinese Consulate General in New York.