The Hitachi Toshiba Supreme Consortium (HTSC) — comprising
Hitachi Ltd,
Toshiba Corp, and
Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corp — has been awarded a contract to build 12 sets of new-generation high-speed trains (144 cars) by
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC).
The deal is worth around 830 million euros, with deliveries beginning in 2026. THSRC started operating high-speed trains in 2007 between Taipei and Kaohsiung, introducing the Japanese Shinkansen system. The new trains — some 300m long and with a maximum operating speed of 300kph — will be based on the N700S train, while being lighter and having better aerodynamic performance compared with the existing 700-tonne locomotive. It will be equipped with lithium-ion batteries that will power the train at low speed in case of power outage.
In Taiwan, many people are already using the high-speed railway, which has been providing ‘unparalleled levels of safety and reliability’ to passengers for more than a decade. THSRC anticipates that introducing the new rolling stock will encourage even more people to make the modal shift to environment-friendly high-speed rail travel.
Hitachi Rail is a global provider of rail solutions across rolling stock, signalling, service and maintenance, digital technology, and turnkey solutions. It has a presence in 38 countries across six continents and over 14,000 employees.