Rail Car Plant One-Fifth Complete FLORENCE, AL (APR - Alabama Public Radio ) - Executives with National Alabama Corp. say construction on a new rail car plant in Lauderdale County is now one-fifth complete.

Work began in February on the 2.2 million square foot facility on a 640-acre site in the Barton Industrial Park.

Governor Riley and local official toured the site on Tuesday.

National Alabama's initial investment is $350 million. The plant is expected to open in early 2009 with 18-hundred workers.

The massive plant will produce eight-to-ten thousand rail cars annually.

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