Railcar manufacturer Alstom is entering layoffs, partly because of the slow pace of goverment.

In addition to waiting on contracts from WMATA, Amtrak, MTA NYC Transit, and BART, the company is also waiting on a decision from PATCO, which is a subsidiary of the Delaware River Port Authority.

PATCO is expected to make a decision between Alstom and two other manufacturers for the rebuilding of its fleet of 121 rail cars. The current cars were built in 1968 by Budd of Philadelphia and in 1980 by Vickers Canada. Refurbishment will involve stripping the cars to their steel frames and fitting them with new motors, carriages, electrical systems, and interior furnishings.

Following committee approval of the bid winner, the entire DRPA board must vote on the lowest responsible bidder in order to award the contract. The board met on January 20, and will meet again on February 17. The refurbishment was originally planned to begin in 2009.