The first of 10 new high-capacity trains purchased from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem arrived at the Port of Taipei yesterday to meet the demands of an expanding metro network, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday.
The train completed a three-day, 1,200km voyage from the Port of Masan in South Korea, the company said.
Costing NT$590 million (US$18.79 million) each, the new six-carriage trains feature a redesigned interior based on "human-centric" transportation concepts, TRTC said.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Rapid Transit Corp
The design utilizes continuous longitudinal seating to widen the aisles and optimize passenger flow, while also upgrading passenger information displays and driving control systems for a more comfortable ride, it said.
After clearing customs, the six carriages were to be transported in batches to the Beitou Depot starting late tonight, it added.
The new trains are expected to enter commercial service in the middle of next year, although the specific MRT lines they would serve are still being planned, it said.
Once the carriages arrive at the depot, a technical team from the manufacturer is to connect and assemble them, TRTC said.
To ensure that the new and old systems operate together flawlessly, the train would also conduct uncrewed test runs on the main lines during off-peak hours, the company said, adding that it would only commence commercial operations once it has passed all safety and performance benchmarks.
Detailing the complex logistics required to deliver the trains, TRTC said that after rolling off the assembly line at Hyundai Rotem's Changwon plant, the carriages were loaded onto a ship individually.
The main body of each carriage was tightly wrapped in protective foam and shrink wrap, and secured with waterproof and dustproof canvas to protect its precision electromechanical systems from high salinity, humidity and ocean sway, it said.
As each packaged carriage measures about 24m long, 3.6m wide and 3.6m high, and weighs up to 42 tonnes, standard flatbed trucks could not be used, the company said.
Specially modified trailers were required to transport the carriages one by one, it added.
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