The first carriages of Taichung Metro’s Green Line have been unveiled for the first time, with arrival in Taiwan expected by the end of the year.

▲Green Line carriages currently under assembly. (Photo / Provided by the Taichung City Government Transportation Bureau)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Taichung Metro Green Line carriages unveiled – Currently being assembled at Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe, the train cars were shown to the public on the 3rd. The Taichung City Government stated that the assembly progress has now reached 36%, with the aluminum alloy structure of the body and the front design both completed. If testing goes smoothly, they are expected to meet all citizens by the end of the year.

Originally, Kawasaki Heavy Industries had very strict protection measures for vehicles that were under assembly and not yet unveiled, in order to protect client confidentiality. In addition, the company's part codes are considered trade secrets, so there are strict regulations regarding photography inside the factory. This time, because it was an inspection visit by the Taichung City Government, photos could be legally taken out for the first time and shared with the public.

▲Green Line elevated tracks currently under construction. (Photo / Eastern News)

The carriages of Taichung Metro are newly designed, differing from previous models. Each carriage is approximately 22.17 meters long, 2.98 meters wide, and 3.78 meters high. The total train length is about 44.34 meters, with a passenger capacity of approximately 536 people (about 268 per carriage). The vehicle type is steel rail with steel wheels, and the body material is stainless steel. The operating speed, including stops and acceleration, averages 35 km/h, with a maximum cruising speed of up to 70 km/h. The trains will operate fully automatically without drivers.

Wang Yichuan, Director of the Taichung City Government Transportation Bureau, said that the aluminum alloy structure of the body, the front design, and the doors are all completed, and the bogies are currently being installed. The overall assembly progress has reached 36%. After the carriages are fully assembled, a series of vehicle safety and performance tests and validations will be carried out. If everything goes smoothly with the tests, they are scheduled to arrive at Taichung Port by the end of this year, as originally planned.