Japan: The operator has unveiled the first Class 80000 with an aluminium body.
Following the delivery of 25 five-car trains, Tobu Railway plans to start putting them into service on a 1,067 mm gauge line, Tobu Noda. The new fleet will replace the Class 8000 trains built between 1963 and 1983 by a consortium of Japanese companies.
Consisting of two intermediate motor cars, a Class 80000 has a maximum operating speed of 120 km/h with an acceleration of 0.62 m/s2 and is capable of carrying 697 passengers, 239 of whom can be seated.
Inside the Kinki Sharyo EMU. Source: Mynavi
The new Tobu Class 80000 uses the SynTRACS track system with eight 250 kW synchronous reluctance motors, SynRM, and an onboard battery unit. This is claimed to reduce overall energy consumption by 40% compared to the Class 8000s. The trains are equipped with track monitoring systems to check the condition of the catenary and infrastructure.
