Japan's Hayate Shinkansen In China
Good news for train lovers as China will buy 140 bullet trains from a Chinese train maker affiliated with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., according to Kyodo. The deal for the E2 Series Shinkansen trains is worth about ¥604 billion:
China will buy the trains that can run at 350 kph from Nanche Sifang Locomotive, which has a technology licensing agreement with Kawasaki Heavy, the sources said. The trains will be manufactured using Kawasaki Heavy's technology for Hayate trains, which are used on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line.
In China they will run between Beijing and Shanghai, and between Beijing and Guangzhou starting in 2010. Japanese railway-related manufacturers that produce motors, brakes and other parts may also benefit from the contract, notes Kyodo.
The Japanese name 疾風 or はやて (Hayate) was chosen with input from the public and means a strong wind or hurricane, but it also has positive connotations of speed and power. It is the fastest train on the Tohoku Line going north from Tokyo.
China has previously introduced a number of 250 km/h trains based on the Kawasaki Heavy E2-1000 series design, called CRH2, which they seem pleased with, although the Wikipedia article notes that they were introduced "with little fanfare, and was not even publicized in China." Most CRH2 are now built in China. The Japanese wikipedia page for CRH2 also notes that the blue and white design has a smart (in the sense of stylish) image スマートなイメージ.
Also, it is worth noting that Japan foots at least some of the bill for this through its official development projects. According to MOFA, some ¥182 billion is provided as loans to China for rail and subway projects, in addition to older projects worth over ¥640 billion.
For example, through Japanese loan aid (yen loans), a total length of 5,200 km of railway lines were electrified.
Fanfare, indeed.
China will buy the trains that can run at 350 kph from Nanche Sifang Locomotive, which has a technology licensing agreement with Kawasaki Heavy, the sources said. The trains will be manufactured using Kawasaki Heavy's technology for Hayate trains, which are used on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line.
In China they will run between Beijing and Shanghai, and between Beijing and Guangzhou starting in 2010. Japanese railway-related manufacturers that produce motors, brakes and other parts may also benefit from the contract, notes Kyodo.
The Japanese name 疾風 or はやて (Hayate) was chosen with input from the public and means a strong wind or hurricane, but it also has positive connotations of speed and power. It is the fastest train on the Tohoku Line going north from Tokyo. China has previously introduced a number of 250 km/h trains based on the Kawasaki Heavy E2-1000 series design, called CRH2, which they seem pleased with, although the Wikipedia article notes that they were introduced "with little fanfare, and was not even publicized in China." Most CRH2 are now built in China. The Japanese wikipedia page for CRH2 also notes that the blue and white design has a smart (in the sense of stylish) image スマートなイメージ.
Also, it is worth noting that Japan foots at least some of the bill for this through its official development projects. According to MOFA, some ¥182 billion is provided as loans to China for rail and subway projects, in addition to older projects worth over ¥640 billion.
For example, through Japanese loan aid (yen loans), a total length of 5,200 km of railway lines were electrified.
Fanfare, indeed.
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