Subway Cars Delivered to Taipei

 Tokyo, December 5, 2005 – Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced that it has completed shipment of the first three-car subway train to Taipei's Department of Rapid Transit System (DORTS). The train will go into service on the Xiaobitan Branch Line of the Xindian Line in early 2006.

 Kawasaki received an order for 321 subway cars from DORTS in 2003. Of these, DORTS will use 144 cars on the Xinzhuang Line and the Luzhou Branch Line, both opening in 2011. The remaining 177 cars will be added to existing lines for increased capacity. Production on half of the remaining order will begin soon at Kawasaki's Hyogo Works, with the other half to be produced by a local firm in Taiwan under the government's Industrial Cooperation Program (ICP). Deliveries will continue until June 2009.

 The subway cars are made of weather-resistant stainless steel and have four external doors on one side. Electricity (DC 750V) is supplied via a third rail and the trains operate using the latest insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) inverter control, installed on Kawasaki's bolsterless bogies. Maximum operating speed is 80 km/h. Special features include a train supervising information system (TSIS) to assist driving and maintenance, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitoring system in the driver's compartment to enhance passenger safety, and bicycle storage space to meet diverse passenger needs.