66 carriages supplied to AGT system in Hiroshima

25th July 2017

Mitsubishi

Joe Bush

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Hiroshima Rapid Transit Company has placed an order for 66 carriages (11 trains) with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), which will be supplied to the Hiroshima New Transit Line 1, also known as the ‘Astram Line’, an Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) system operating in Hiroshima City, Japan.

The AGT vehicles will replace carriages that have been in service since the Astram Line was inaugurated in 1994. Deliveries are slated to commence in the 2019 fiscal year and will be completed in fiscal 2025.

The newly ordered carriages incorporate MHI’s proprietary all-aluminium-alloy, double-skin structure known as ‘Al-Fine’, which offers advantages in terms of lightweight, durability and easy recycling. They also use MHI’s ‘T-smover’ bogies - these serve to increase riding comfort by reducing the carriage’s swaying motion. The new cars are further equipped with MHI’s specially designed ‘G-Fit’ semi-high-back bucket type seats which provide body support while naturally encouraging seated passengers to keep their legs tucked in close so as to avoid extending them into the aisle space.

The interior design delivers an optimal riding environment with attention to the finest of details. Going forward, the company will continue to work closely with the customer to achieve higher levels of comfort, safety and security, all while maintaining the overall image of the Astram Line, now a well established symbol of Hiroshima.

Hiroshima Rapid Transit was founded in 1987 under a joint initiative involving both the private and public sectors, led by the municipal authorities of Hiroshima, to operate a new urban transit system in the city. The company’s Astram Line presently connects Hondori Station in the city centre with Koiki-koen-mae Station in Hiroshima’s north western outskirts, a total distance of 18.4km, making the Astram Line the longest AGT system in operation in Japan. Daily ridership averages some 63,000 passengers. The chrome yellow colour of the carriages was selected to convey peace, a befitting symbol for Hiroshima.

AGT systems are designed to make effective use of space above roadways, and since 1981 they have been introduced in numerous Japanese cities. Their use of rubber tires results in minimal noise and vibration, making AGTs environmentally harmonious with their surroundings.