Hitachi, Toshiba Mark New High-Speed Train Shipment to Taiwan

Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi Pref., July 30 (Jiji Press)–A consortium mainly comprising Japan’s Hitachi Ltd. and Toshiba Corp. on Thursday held a ceremony to mark the first shipment of a new high-speed train to Taiwan. Featuring orange and black lines on a white body, the N700ST train was put on display at the ceremony held at Hitachi’s Kasado Works in the city of Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan. The ceremony was attended by about 230 people. The new train model is scheduled to gradually enter commercial operation from the summer of 2027. In 2023, the consortium won an order for 12 train sets, each consisting of 12 cars, from Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. One train set will be shipped this time. Designed based on the newest Shinkansen bullet train model of Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, the N700ST features smaller equipment and lower power consumption. Hitachi Senior Vice President Giuseppe Marino, who is in charge of the company’s railway system business, said that the model was developed to meet the needs and expectations of the Taiwanese railway operator. THSRC has announced a donation of 20 million yen in response to a massive earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan on Tuesday. Its chairman, Shih Che, expressed hopes for an early reconstruction. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]