Taiwan: First Hitachi-Toshiba N700ST High-Speed Trainset Ships for 2028 Launch

The Hitachi Toshiba Supreme Consortium (HTSC) shipped the first N700ST high-speed trainset for Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) from Hitachi's Kasado Works in Japan on 30 July 2026, Railway Gazette International and Global Railway Review reported. The train is due to arrive at the Port of Kaohsiung on 15 August.

THSRC ordered 12 twelve-car N700ST trainsets -- 144 vehicles in total -- from HTSC in May 2023. Deliveries will run from August 2026 through the end of 2028, when the fleet is due to enter commercial service on the north-south corridor between Taipei's Nangang station and Kaohsiung's Zuoying station.

Each roughly 300-metre trainset runs at up to 300 km/h and uses silicon carbide traction devices, a blower-less cooling system and Toshiba SCiB lithium-ion battery technology, together with full-active suspension. THSRC said the new fleet is expected to add about 25% more peak capacity through higher service frequency, alongside upgraded seating, more wheelchair spaces, expanded luggage storage and dual-tier colour LCD passenger information displays.