JAPAN: Seibu Railway has ordered three Mitsubishi Heavy Industries rubber-tyre Automated Guideway Transit trainsets for use on its 2·8 km three-station Yamaguchi Line peoplemover which connects Tamako to Seibukyujo-mae in the greater Toyko area.
The four-car sets are to be delivered in 2025-27 to replace the existing 40-year old Series 8500 cars. Changes will include longitudinal seating to increase capacity to serve Seibu Group’s Belluna Dome and Seibu Amusement Park, as well as the provision of wheelchair spaces, children’s seats and information displays.
The first trainset will be branded for the Saitama Seibu Lions baseball team based at Belluna Dome. The interior will be decorated in the team’s colours, while the exterior of the first car will feature a prominent image of the Leo mascot.
‘Together these design features will raise the level of excitement and enthusiasm of passengers heading to Belluna Dome’, MHI said when the order was announced on January 22.
The styling for the second and third trainsets is still to be decided.
