Taiwan receives its first Japan-built N700ST Shinkansen trainset
Taiwan’s high-speed rail operator plans to introduce 12 N700ST trainsets in stages from July 2027, lifting peak capacity by 25%.
- Taiwan has received the first of 12 ordered N700ST Shinkansen trainsets, which was built in Japan by a consortium including Hitachi and Toshiba.
- The new train is based on Central Japan Railway Company's N700S Shinkansen model, designed to be more energy-efficient with less noise and vibration.
- The new fleet is scheduled to enter service progressively from July 2027 and is expected to increase peak period capacity by 25%.
Taiwan received its first Japan-built N700ST Shinkansen on Saturday (August 15), when all 12 carriages were unloaded from a cargo vessel at a port in Kaohsiung, south-western Taiwan.
The train has a white exterior marked by distinctive orange and black stripes.
The arrival marks the first of 12 N700ST trainsets ordered by Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, with each set comprising 12 carriages.
They are due to enter service progressively from July 2027 and are expected to increase capacity during peak periods by 25%.
At the delivery ceremony, Taiwan’s Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai described the N700ST as more than a new train, calling it a symbol of future industrial and urban development.
A Japanese consortium comprising Hitachi Ltd and Toshiba Corporation secured the contract, valued at 124 billion yen.
Consortium head Takuya Yamakawa told the ceremony: “We are confident that [the train] will contribute to the development of Taiwanese society.”
The N700ST is based on Central Japan Railway Company’s latest N700S Shinkansen model.
The new train produces less noise and vibration while consuming less electricity.
Taiwan High Speed Rail, which began operating in 2007, was the first railway operator outside Japan to adopt Japanese Shinkansen technology.
Its service connects Taipei and Kaohsiung, about 350 kilometres apart, in roughly 90 minutes, with trains reaching a maximum speed of 300 kilometres per hour.
Average daily ridership exceeds 200,000 passengers.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
