JAPAN: A three-section low-floor tram supplied by Alna Sharyo has entered service on the Hankai Tramway in Osaka, where it is operating alongside the oldest trams in the country which are still in commercial service rather than run as heritage vehicles.
The two-line Hankai Tramway serves the Sakai district, using a diverse fleet of vintage vehicles dating back to the late 1920s. To improve accessibility, it introduced three modern low-floor trams in 2015.
The latest vehicle is designated Series 1100, and is similar to Alna Sharyo’s Series 1001 Little Dancer Type Ua design.
The expansion of the fleet will enable the operation of low-floor trams to be increased from one to two trams per hour between 07.00 and 19.00, interspersed with the less-accessible older vehicles running at 12 min headways.
