Orders Received from Hong Kong's Kowloon-Canton Railways Corporation

 Tokyo, March 7, 2006 – Itochu Corporation, The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd. and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced today that they has won an 8 billion yen contract from Kowloon-Canton Railways Corporation (KCRC) for 34 train cars to go on the Hong Kong West Rail and new line. Deliveries are scheduled to begin at the end of September 2007.

 The cars will go on the West Rail and the 4 km long new line, the Kowloon Southern Link, which connects East Tsim Sha Tsui Station on the East Rail and Nam Cheong Station on the West Rail. The new train connection in the Kowloon district, scheduled for completion in 2009, is expected to greatly enhance passenger convenience. The order includes four new sets of trains with seven cars, two sets of three middle cars to support an expected increase in passenger volume on the new line, and modification work on existing West Rail cars that will go into operation on the new line.

 Since receiving the first order for 250 train cars from KCRC in 1999, the three-company consortium has supplied 322 train cars to date. The 34 cars in the latest order are the same model as the stainless steel cars previously delivered, featuring quiet operation and passenger comfort.