JAPAN: The first two Series 8900 trams have entered service on the Arakawa Line in Tokyo. Six more are due to be delivered by early 2017, and are intended to replace the Series 7000 trams on the line, the oldest of which were built in 1954.
The single section trams are being manufactured by Alna Sharyo in Osaka. They are 13 m long, 2 200 mm wide and 3·2 m high. Each tram is equipped with two wheelchair spaces, LED lighting, passenger information screens and windows that filter out ultraviolet light.
The cars are powered at 600 V DC and use two 60 kW VVVF-controlled traction motors.
The 1 372 mm gauge Arakawa Line is operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation. The 12·2 km route with 30 stops is currently used by 45 000 passengers per day.
