China: Last week, the six-axle narrow-gauge locomotive started providing passenger service on the line of 420.8 km linking the cities of Keelung and Pingtung.
The vehicle has been tested on the island’s railways for a year. The launch dates for the rest of the vehicles are not disclosed.
The E500 electric locomotive is designed to operate at a maximum speed of 130 km/h on 1,067 mm lines. The vehicle is driven by a 3.9 MW squirrel cage three-phase asynchronous motor manufactured by Toshiba. The bogies are of Australian UGL Rail’s production. The locomotive is constructed to withstand typhoon winds, heavy rains, and temperatures above 40 °C.
The first E500 class electric locomotive for Taiwan. Source: 公視新聞網
Serial deliveries of the new rolling stock commenced in March. A total of 68 electric locomotives worth $368 mln are to be supplied under the contract, signed between TRA, Taiwan Railways Administration, and Toshiba in the autumn of 2019. The vehicles are produced at the manufacturer’s Fuchu Complex, Japan.
