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Next-generation Shinkansen cars developed for the overseas market by Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) and others are expected to be adopted for Taiwan’s high-speed railway line, according to sources.
The scale of the order is expected to be up to about ¥100 billion for 14 trains (168 cars in total) and the trains will start operations as early as fiscal 2020.
As Japan is trying to export high-speed trains through joint efforts of the public and private sectors, it is expected to develop momentum to expand the adoption in other countries.
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSR) started bullet train services in 2007. Currently, 34 high-speed trains of the 700T-type developed for Taiwan, based on the 700-type used on the Tokaido Shinkansen, operate between Taipei and Kaohsiung over a distance of 345 kilometers.
The new cars that are expected to receive additional orders are the N700iBullet (see below), a Shinkansen train developed for the overseas market by JR Tokai. Compared with the 700T Shinkansen, the new trains are lighter, designed to reduce power consumption.
THSR will purchase the trains and a detailed schedule for items such as the date of delivery will be discussed after the new Taiwan administration led by Tsai Ing-wen is launched on Friday.
The number of passengers who used the Taiwan high-speed railway services last year was 50.56 million, an increase of about 3.2 times from the initial operating year. In July this year, the services are scheduled to be extended between Taipei and Nangang. By adding 14 trains, the company plans to operate a total of 48 bullet trains.
THSR plans to formally decide on the trains after a careful comparative review of bids of new trains from railway companies in Japan and Europe.
However, European train makers are reportedly negative about their sales promotion in consideration of coordination with the current operational system in Taiwan. According to sources in Taiwan, Japan’s Shinkansen meets the most criteria, including safety. It is highly likely that the next-generation Shinkansen developed from the 700T-type is the front-runner among candidate trains.
In Japan, the public and private sectors have joined forces to sell Shinkansen technology to overseas markets and the International High-Speed Rail Association was established in 2014 by four JR companies, trading firms, railway car makers and others.
THSR has also joined the association, which held a meeting in Taipei on Wednesday.
In the overseas market, JR Tokai is working on promoting its new trains for a railway plan in Texas.
N700iBullet
A model for the overseas market developed by JR Tokai based on its N700-type Shinkansen being operated on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines since 2007. To save weight, each seat is lighter than that of European makers. Compared with the current 700T-type Shinkansen, power consumption is reduced by 20 percent. The “i” indicates international.
(THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN)
