First Linear Motor-Driven Vehicles Go Online in China

 Tokyo, November 28, 2005 – Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced today that it has completed, with CSR Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co., Ltd. (Sifang) and Itochu Corp., the first eight vehicles of two subway trains that will go into service in China. The companies marked the completion with a ceremony yesterday at Sifang in Qingdao, Shandong Province. The vehicles, which are driven by linear induction motors (LIM), achieve the world's fastest speed for LIM trains, 90 km/h.

 The three companies jointly received the order, for 300 vehicles, from Guangzhou Metro Corporation. Kawasaki assumed full technical responsibility for the project, while Itochu is coordinating the procurement of parts from overseas and managing contract administration. Kawasaki and Sifang are working together on the design and manufacture of the vehicles and, using Kawasaki's carbody shell design, Sifang is further developing the design, and handling the manufacturing, testing and commissioning. The company is being supported by technology transfer and production assistance from Kawasaki. Kawasaki manufactured the carbody shells of the first eight vehicles and Sifang conducted final assembly. Sifang will be taking over more production in the future, with final delivery in 2010.

 Guangzhou's metro, designed to alleviate traffic jams in the city, is the third mass rapid transportation system in China, after the construction of systems in Beijing and Shanghai. Line 1 was opened in June 1999 and has since been reinforced to support economic growth in the area, as well as to prepare for the Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou in 2010.