Hitachi and Toshiba present Taiwan's next high-speed train ahead of 2027 launch
Hitachi and Toshiba unveiled a new 12-car train for Taiwan High Speed Rail at a ceremony in Yamaguchi, with service expected as early as 2027.
At a shipment ceremony in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Hitachi Ltd. and Toshiba Corp. introduced the N700ST, a new high-speed train destined for Taiwan's high-speed rail network. Based on the N700S platform that powers Japan's Tokaido Shinkansen, the 12-car sets are slated for commercial operation by 2027. The 2023 contract calls for twelve trainsets, amounting to about 124 billion yen, and represents the first Japanese-manufactured Shinkansen delivery to Taiwan in 22 years.
Giuseppe Marino, senior vice president at Hitachi, praised the joint effort of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp., Central Japan Railway Co., and other partners. The N700ST will travel at speeds up to 300 km per hour and can switch to battery mode to reach a safe location if power is lost. Taiwan High Speed Rail also announced a 20 million-yen donation to aid recovery from the recent 7.1-magnitude earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.
Why it matters
The deal expands Taiwan's rail capacity with advanced Japanese technology and revives a long-dormant export relationship.
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