MHIENG to deliver 78 additional 7000-Series carriages to Hiroshima

Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (MHIENG) has secured a follow-up order to deliver 78 additional 7000-Series carriages configured into 13 trains for Hiroshima’s public transit system.

This comes after MHIENG received the initial order to deliver 66 carriages in July 2017.

All the carriages under the latest order will be locally manufactured at the Mihara Machinery Works in Hiroshima prefecture.

The deliveries will be completed progressively by FY2024.

The new units will replace existing carriages operating on Hiroshima New Transit Line 1, also known as Astram Line.

Overall, the new order increases the total number of 7000-Series carriages ordered for the Astram Line to 144.

As agreed, MHIENG will also provide carriage maintenance services to ensure safe operation.

A 7000-Series unit features an all-aluminium-alloy, double-skin body, which increases the durability of the carriage and enables easy recycling.

The cars also feature MHIENG’s latest ‘T-smover’ bogies to increase passenger comfort, along with MHIENG’s specially designed G-Fit seats and free space for added convenience.

With funding from the local authority, Hiroshima Rapid Transit was established in 1987 to operate an automated guideway transit (AGT) system in the city.

The 18.4km-long Astram Line is the longest AGT system in Japan, stretching from Hondori Station in the city centre to Koiki-koen-mae Station in Hiroshima’s north-western outskirts.

MHIENG is a group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

In 2018, MHIENG took control of the transportation system business, which was conducted by MHI.

The company has made several AGT system deliveries both in Japan and overseas.