TAIWAN: Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit Bureau has awarded a consortium of South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem and Singapore’s ST Engineering a 207·8bn won seven-year contract to provide metro trains and electrical systems for a 9·3 km northern extension of the Red Line with six elevated stations.
The trains to be supplied by Hyundai Rotem will be compatible with the existing fleet supplied by Siemens. They will have a maximum speed of 80 km/h, with features including air-conditioning which adapts to passenger loadings by measuring CO2 levels, enhanced emergency braking and an automated monitoring system to assist with optimising operating efficiency and maintenance costs.
ST Engineering will supply the communications, SCADA, automatic fare collection and signalling systems, as well as platform screen doors.
Hyundai Rotem said the contract win would provide it with more momentum in the Taiwanese market. A further 3·8 km two-station extension of the Red Line is planned, which could bring additional orders for the consortium, and the South Korean company also sees opportunities to participate in the modernisation of the national rail network.
