THSRC signs NT$42.6bn maintenance equipment contract with Mitsubishi

By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) yesterday signed a NT$2.6 billion (US$82.2 million) contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to procure maintenance equipment ahead of the arrival of its first new train in August.

The contract was one of the 21 subcontracts signed by the company within one year to facilitate the introduction of the next-generation N700ST train system, in addition to costs for train car procurement. The total value of the subcontracts exceeds NT$30 billion.

The purchase of maintenance equipment is necessary, as the first N700ST train would require a bogie inspection every 600,000km and a general inspection every 1.2 million kilometers, the company said.

Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp chairman Shih Che, second left, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries senior vice president Taro Fukazawa, second right, pose with a signed contract in Taipei yesterday.

Photo courtesy of Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp

The former requires about seven to 11 workdays, while the latter requires approximately 18 workdays, it added.

The equipment would be installed in the integrated facility under construction at the company’s Yanchao general depot in Kaohsiung and is scheduled to be completed before the train’s first bogie inspection in 2028, the company said, adding that the same equipment would be used to inspect the N700T trains already in service.

The new facility would get upgraded maintenance equipment for the N700T fleet, enabling interoperability of the maintenance bays for the N700ST and N700T trains, the company said, adding that this mutual backup capability would help reduce the time for general inspection to 16 days.

The company further updated the progress of building the first N700ST train.

The new train is divided into three units: Unit 1 consists of cars 1 through 4, Unit 2 comprises cars 5 through 8, and Unit 3 includes cars 9 through 12. Cars in Unit 2, which would include a business-class cabin and a wheelchair accessible cabin, are built by Nippon Sharyo Ltd, while those in Unit 1 and Unit 3 are built by Hitachi.

Cars in Unit 2 have been built and shipped to Hitachi for full train system integration, as well as static and dynamic testing, the company said.

THSRC chairman Shih Che (史哲) said that Unit 2 of the N700ST fleet features the most complex body structure, the greatest variety of car types and a premium business-class car with the highest specifications.

He said only a manufacturer such as Nippon Sharyo, with its extensive experience, could successfully complete its production.