New Japanese-made high-speed train arrives in Kaohsiung
CNA 2012-12-24 11:40
The new high-speed train arrives at the Port of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. (Photo/CNA)
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp said Sunday that the first of four high-speed train sets it purchased from Japan has arrived in southern Kaohsiung city and will be joining its existing fleet after passing safety tests.
The newly arrived 700T high-speed train set is customized to fit Taiwan's environment and improves upon the older model's anti-noise and anti-corrosion functions, and is also more energy efficient, according to a statement issued by the high-speed rail company.
The other three train sets will arrive in Taiwan in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively, according to the terms of the contract.
The 700T train set comes with 12 train carriages and operates at a maximum speed of 300 kilometers per hour.
The train was jointly developed by Japan's Central Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company, according to the Chinese-language United Daily News.
Taiwan's bullet train began commercial operations in January 2007 and hit the 200 million ridership mark last week.
The NT$6.8 billion (US$234 million) procurement project was approved in April this year to meet the country's growing commuter population, the statement said.
