SCTB Orders Type 9000 Subway Cars

Tokyo, May 22, 2013 — Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced today that it has received an order for 80 Type 9000 subway cars from Sapporo City Transportation Bureau (SCTB) to be operated on the Toho Line of the Sapporo Municipal Subway. The order is worth about 12 billion yen in total (not including bogies and other equipment ordered separately). The Type 9000 will be manufactured at Kawasaki's Hyogo Works and delivered between fiscal 2014 and 2016.

These subway cars are designed to operate on a rubber tire guide rail system, which offers a smooth and quiet ride, superior hill-climbing ability and short breaking distance. SCTB became the first in the country to adopt these cars when it ordered them for the opening of the Namboku Line in 1971, prior to the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics. Since then, Kawasaki has continually provided these subway cars, which were subsequently adopted on the Tozai Line, which opened in 1976, and the Toho Line, which opened in 1988.

The Type 9000 will replace the Type 7000, which was introduced when the Toho Line opened for commercial service. The aluminum semi-double skin cars offer greater strength for increased safety, and also feature an Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system to enable one-man operation. These subway cars will also be outfitted with state-of-the-art systems, including LCD monitors for providing information services to the passengers. Power-saving LED lights will be utilized for the headlights as well as the interior for an environmentally-friendly operation.

Kawasaki is looking to build new credibility with its technological expertise as it provides environmentally friendly modes of transportation to the US and markets around the world.