Trinity Industries Inc. is laying off nearly 300 workers at its rail tank car production facility in the Longview area.

John Stroud, executive director of Longview Economic Development Corp, confirmed the move.

A Trinity spokesman didn't immediately respond to messages left by The Associated Press on Friday.

The Longview News-Journal reports that Stroud said the Dallas-based company attributed the layoffs to a weakening national economy.

Trinity had nearly doubled its Longview-area work force to 1,100 workers in the past three years.

Stroud says a reduction of 297 employees will leave the facility with about 850 workers.

Last year, the company told the state it planned to cut 278 people by shuttering two facilities in the Dallas area.