China: The first batch of three E500 locomotives has reached the Port of Hualien, which is on the east coast of Taiwan. The rolling stock was produced at the manufacturer’s Fuchu Complex, Japan.
A prototype electric locomotive has been on tests in Taiwan since last September. All in all, 68 electric locomotives are to be supplied according to a contract worth $368 mln, signed between the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and Toshiba in the autumn of 2019.
The first three E500 Toshiba narrow-gauge electric locomotives at the Port of Hualien. Source: taisounds
The six-axle E500 electric locomotive is designed to operate with a maximum speed of 130 km/h on 1,067 mm narrow-gauge lines. It is driven by 3.9 MW traction system of squirrel cage three-phase asynchronous motors produced by Toshiba. The locomotive is constructed to withstand typhoon winds, heavy rains, and temperatures above 40 °C.
