Taiwan High Speed Rail

Manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Nippon Sharyo, Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd. & Toshiba Corporation
Built for Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation
Route Taipei - Zuaying(Kaoshiung)
Product type 700T Series EMU
Launch of commercial operations Entire route opened in March 2007

Taiwan High Speed Rail is the first high speed rail system to use Shinkansen technology exported from Japan.

The Taiwan Shinkansen Corporation(TSC) and Taiwan Shinkansen International Engineering Corporation (TSIEC), which were established by a group of seven Japanese companies (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Toshiba Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Corporation, Marubeni Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation), signed a contract in December 2000 to provide mechanical and electrical systems to Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (the company entrusted to build and operate Taiwan High Speed Rail). TSC/TSIEC undertook system-wide supply and construction for the rolling stock, signaling, and traffic control system communications and power supply, way side equipment, and operator and maintenance. Construction and installation were completed in 2006 and trains started revenue services provisionally in January 2007. In March 2007, those services were launched formally from Taipei to Kaohsiung.

As part of the electric and mechanical system undertaking, a total of 360 700T Series cars were manufactured and delivered to Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (as a leader of desing, manufacturing and testing and commissioning of rolling stock) , Nippon Sharyo, Ltd. and Hitachi, Ltd. Electrical items and electric equipment, air-conditioning equipment were supplied by Toshiba Corporation, and the signaling systems were delivered by Nippon Signal Co., Ltd..
The design and manufacturing process were based on 700 Series Shinkansen rolling stock operated by Central Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company, the design was modified in some respects to suit Taiwanese specifications.

The exterior appearance of the trainsets favors white as the main body color, with orange and black lines, to fit the image of sunshine bathing a subtropical and tropical region. The train received the Good Design Gold Prize for 2006.

Reference:Japanese Railway Information No.112



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