The Hitachi A-train is a family of rail

rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles ca ...

built and designed by

Hitachi Rail () is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Nissan ''zaibatsu'' and later DKB Group and Fuyo G ...

using a common base and construction techniques. The stock is designed to facilitate a number of product life-cycle improvements including ease of manufacture, increased energy efficiency, and recyclability.

Description

The "A-train" design concept includes several elements. The primary feature is that vehicle car bodies are constructed from double skin aluminium extruded sections, which are friction stir welded, creating a strong body. Other features include hollow, extruded mounting rails on the vehicle body to which modular components are attached.Hitachi's Entry into the European Railway Market
- Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 42 (pp.10–16) Initially the A-train family consisted of

multiple unit A multiple-unit train or simply multiple unit (MU) is a self-propelled train composed of one or more carriages joined together, which when coupled to another multiple unit can be controlled by a single driver, with multiple-unit train cont ...

s designed and built by Hitachi, for use on the railway system in Japan. It comprises trains for both commuter and

limited express A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes. Japan The term "limited express" is a common ...

services. The modular design enables both production and refurbishment to be undertaken faster. Due to the low heat input of friction stir welding, high strength, excellent

crashworthiness Crashworthiness is the ability of a structure to protect its occupants during an impact. This is commonly tested when investigating the safety of aircraft and vehicles. Depending on the nature of the impact and the vehicle involved, different crit ...

and minimal distortion can be achieved.

Japanese trains

Hitachi has provided a number of trains based on the A-train concept for use in Japan: *

E257 series The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated in Japan for limited express services by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and built jointly by Hitachi, Kinki Sharyo, and Tokyu Car Corporation. Variants * E257-0 series: ''Azu ...

- a limited express EMU operated by the

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters ar ...

(JR East) * 815 series - a commuter EMU operated by the

Kyushu Railway Company The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strai ...

(JR Kyushu) and the first A-train type to enter service *

817 series The is an AC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated on commuter and local services by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) in Japan since 2001. The design was based on the earlier 815 series, with transverse seating replacing the previ ...

- a commuter EMU operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) *

683 series The is a dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) and Hokuetsu Express on limited express services in Japan since 2001. Variants * 683-0 series (''Thunderbird'') * 683-1000 series (' ...

- a limited express EMU operated on the

Hokuriku Main Line The Hokuriku Main Line ( ja, 北陸本線, ) is a 176.6 kilometer railway line owned by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting the Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga, with the Naoetsu Station in Joetsu, Niigata. The section betwe ...

by the

West Japan Railway Company , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

(JR West) ** 289 series - limited express EMU converted from surplus 683 series sets * 883-1000 series - additional cars built to augment existing 883 series ''Sonic'' EMUs operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) *

885 series The is an AC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated on limited express services by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) in Japan. The type is part of Hitachi's ''A-train'' family of multiple units. Operations The 885 series is operate ...

- a limited express EMU operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) *

Fukuoka Subway 3000 series The is an electric multiple unit operated by Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau on the Nanakuma Line in Fukuoka, Japan. Design The exterior was designed by the German industrial designer Alexander Neumeister. Each side of the cars is equipped w ...

- an EMU type operated on Fukuoka City Subway's

Nanakuma Line The is a subway line, part of the Fukuoka City Subway system in Fukuoka, Japan. It runs from Hashimoto Station in Nishi Ward to Tenjin-Minami Station in Chūō Ward, all within Fukuoka. The line's color on maps is green. Officially, the lin ...

* Hankyu 9000 series - a commuter EMU operated by Hankyu Railway * Hankyu 9300 series - a commuter EMU operated by Hankyu Railway *

Seibu 20000 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the private railway operator Seibu Railway on commuter services in the Tokyo area of Japan. First introduced in 2000, a total of eight 10-car sets and eight 8-car sets were built bet ...

- a commuter EMU operated by the

Seibu Railway is a conglomerate based in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan, with principal business areas in railways, tourism, and real estate. Seibu Railway's operations are concentrated in northwest Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture; the name "Seibu" is an abbrevia ...

Seibu 30000 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the private railway operator Seibu Railway on commuter services in the Tokyo area of Japan. First introduced in April 2008, a total of six 10-car sets, eighteen 8-car sets, and six ...

- a commuter EMU operated by the Seibu Railway *

Tobu 50000 series The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter train type operated by the private railway operator Tobu Railway in Japan since March 2005, manufactured by Hitachi to its "A-train" concept. The trains represent the first use of aluminium bod ...

- a commuter EMU operated by the

Tobu Railway is a Japanese commuter railway and ''keiretsu'' holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's rail system is the second longes ...

Tokyo Metro 05 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line and Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line Ayase Branch in Japan by the subway operator Tokyo Metro. Some sets have also been shipped to Indonesia, where they operate o ...

- an EMU type operated on the

Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line The is a rapid transit line in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. Its name translates to "''East-West Line"''. The line runs between Nakano in Nakano-ku, Tokyo and Nishi-Funabashi in Funabashi, Chiba Pr ...

Tokyo Metro 10000 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated on the Yurakucho and Fukutoshin subway lines of Tokyo Metro in Japan since 2006. Design The trains are manufactured by Hitachi with aluminium bodies to its " A-train" concept. The 1 ...

- an EMU type operated on the

Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line The , formally the , is a subway line operated by Tokyo Metro in west-central Tokyo and Wako, Saitama, Japan. The newest line in the Tokyo subway network, it opened in stages between 1994 and 2008. On average, the Fukutoshin line carries 362,65 ...

and

Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line The is a subway line in Japan owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. The line connects Wakōshi Station in Wakō, Saitama and Shin-Kiba Station in Kōtō, Tokyo. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using the color "gold" (), and ...

Tokyo Metro 15000 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by Tokyo subway operator Tokyo Metro on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line in Tokyo, Japan, since May 2010. Design Based on the earlier Tokyo Metro 05 series (13th batch) and Tokyo Metro 10000 ...

- an EMU type operated on the Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line *

Tokyo Metro 16000 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the Tokyo subway operator Tokyo Metro on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line in Tokyo, Japan, since November 2010. Operations The 16000 series sets are used on the following lines. * Tokyo ...

- an EMU type operated on the

Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. On average, the line carries 1,447,730 passengers daily (2017), the second highest of the Tokyo Metro network, behind the Tozai Line (1,642,378).Kawasaki *

Tokyo Metro 17000 series The is a Japanese DC electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter train type operated by Tokyo Metro on the Yūrakuchō Line and Fukutoshin Line to replace the ageing Tokyo Metro 7000 series. It entered service on 21 February 2021. Operations 17000 ...

- an EMU type operated on the

and

Tokyo Metro 18000 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated Tokyo Metro on the Hanzomon Line in Japan. Introduced into service on 7 August 2021, a total of 19 ten-car trainsets are being manufactured by Hitachi Rail from 2020 to replace the ag ...

- an EMU type operated on the

Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. Overview The 16.8 km line serves the wards of Shibuya, Minato, Chiyoda, Chūō, Kōtō, and Sumida. Despite being shorter in length than nearly all other Tokyo su ...

* Tōyō Rapid 2000 series - a commuter EMU operated by the

Tōyō Rapid Railway Line The is a rapid transit line owned by the third-sector company Tōyō Rapid Railway Co., Ltd., which runs between Nishi-Funabashi Station in Funabashi, Chiba and Tōyō-Katsutadai Station in Yachiyo, Chiba. The name comes from the characters fo ...

TX-1000 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company on the Tsukuba Express line in the Kantō region of Japan since 2005. A total of 84 cars were delivered. Design TX-1000 series trains are ...

- a commuter EMU operated by the

Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company The is a third-sector railway operating company in Japan. It was established on 15 March 1991 to construct the 58.3 km Tsukuba Express (then known as the ''Jōban Shinsen'') commuter railway line from in Tokyo to in Ibaraki Prefecture ...

Tsukuba Express The , or TX, is a Japanese railway line operated by the third-sector company Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company, which links Akihabara Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo and Tsukuba Station in Tsukuba, Ibaraki. The route was inaugurated on 24 Aug ...

services, built by Kawasaki to A-train specifications *

TX-2000 series The is a dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company on the Tsukuba Express line in the Kanto region of Japan since 2005. Design TX-2000 series trains are capable of operating on ...

- a commuter EMU operated by the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company on Tsukuba Express services * Sotetsu 20000 and 21000 series - a commuter EMU operated by the Sagami Railway

A-train family overseas

SRT Dark Red Line at Bang Sue Grand Station 20211114-2

For their products overseas, the Hitachi A-train has different designations by Hitachi depending on their type. * AT100 = high-density urban trains * AT200 = suburban, commuter and regional trains. * AT300 = intercity high speed and long-distance trains * AT400 = high-speed 'bullet' trains Hitachi have been marketing the A-train family overseas. Both the

Chongqing Monorail The Chongqing Rail Transit (branded as CRT; also known as Chongqing Metro) is the rapid transit system in the city of Chongqing, China. In operation since 2005, it serves the transportation needs of the city's main business and entertainment d ...

in China and the Sentosa Express Monorail in Singapore utilise A-train derived cars. At approximately the same time as the UK order, Hitachi received an order from

Taiwan Railway Administration Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is a railway operator in Taiwan. It is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, responsible for managing, maintaining, and running conventional passenger and freight railway services ...

(TRA) for six 8-car trains, based on the Japanese

, designated as TEMU1000, for operation on the main line between

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...

and Hualien. Deliveries of the trains began in late 2006, with the first public test of the new trains in March 2007. Two more sets were purchased in December 2014, and delivered in early 2016. In 2007,

Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation ( Korean: 한국철도공사, Hanja: ), branded as KORAIL (코레일, officially changed to in November 2019), is the national railway operator in South Korea. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, manag ...

ordered eight 4-car express trains branded as the Trunk-Line Electric Car (TEC) to Hitachi. The car bodies, bogies and power systems were made in Japan, but were assembled at SLS Heavy Industry in

Changwon Changwon () is the capital city of Gyeongsangnam-do, on the southeast coast of South Korea. With a population of 1.07 million , Changwon is South Korea's ninth-most populous city. A port city, Changwon is bordered by Masan Bay to the south, ...

, Korea. A significant number of the components were replaced by Korean parts. The trains were for deployment on "Rapid Train" services on the Gyeongbu Line and

Janghang Line The Janghang Line is a railway line serving South Chungcheong Province in South Korea. The line connects Cheonan (on the Gyeongbu Line) to the railway junction city of Iksan. The Janghang Line is served by frequent Saemaeul-ho and Mugunghwa-h ...

between

Seoul Station Seoul Station is a major railway station in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The station is served by the Korail Intercity Lines and the commuter trains of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. Services KTX Seoul Station is the terminus of most ...

and

Sinchang station Sinchang(Soonchunhyang Univ.) Station is a railway station on Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 1 and the Janghang Line in Asan, South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the so ...

, branded ''

Nuriro Nuriro () is a class of train operated by Korail, the national railroad of South Korea, it was introduced on June 1, 2009, to replace the short-range Mugunghwa-ho. The train was introduced as a replacement for the Bidulgi-ho/Tongil-ho/Mugunghwa-h ...

'' and with a maximum speed of . In 2018, the

placed a new order for 50 12-car

EMU3000 series The EMU3000 series is a series of electric multiple unit trains operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA). The trains are built by the Japanese company Hitachi Rail as inter-city trains and entered passenger service on 29 December ...

sets, to be delivered between 2021 and 2024. The first set was delivered on July 31, 2021, with service entry scheduled for the end of the year. Between 2019 and 2021, the first Hitachi AT100 units arrived in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

for the

SRT Dark Red Line The SRT Dark Red Line, or Thani Ratthaya Line ( th, รถไฟชานเมือง สายธานีรัถยา) is part of the SRT Red Line suburban railway system to serve the greater Bangkok Metropolitan Region running for 26& ...

and

SRT Light Red Line The SRT Light Red Line, or Nakhon Withi Line ( th, รถไฟชานเมือง นครวิถี) is part of the SRT Red Lines suburban railway system serving the greater Bangkok Metropolitan Region running for 15 km between Kr ...

, which opened on 2 August 2021. These trains are coloured red, and are very reminiscent of a typical Japanese commuter train. 15 units form 6-car sets, while 10 form 4-car sets.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom became the first country outside Japan to place a major conventional rail order for Hitachi when

Southeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...

ordered 29 electric multiple units for use on domestic services on the

High Speed 1 High Speed 1 (HS1), legally the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), is a high-speed railway linking London with the Channel Tunnel. It is part of a line carrying international passenger traffic between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe ...

line. These are designated as Class 395 units, which are

standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in E ...

with the ability to operate at speeds of up to . Southeastern branded these trains as the ''Javelin'', a reference to the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...

. Hitachi gained further ground in the UK market when it was announced that an A-train based design similar to that of the Class 395, initially named the ''Hitachi Super Express'', won the government's

Intercity Express Programme The Intercity Express Programme (IEP) is an initiative of the Department for Transport (DfT) in the United Kingdom to procure new trains to replace the InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 fleets on the East Coast Main Line and Great Western Main Li ...

tender to replace

InterCity 125 The InterCity 125 (originally Inter-City 125New trai ...

and InterCity 225 sets on the Greater Western and

InterCity East Coast InterCity East Coast is a railway franchise for passenger trains on the East Coast Main Line in the United Kingdom from London King's Cross to Hull, Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen. It wa ...

franchises. These units were classified as Class 800

electro-diesel An electro-diesel locomotive (also referred to as a dual-mode or bi-mode locomotive) is a type of locomotive that can be powered either from an electricity supply (like an electric locomotive) or by using the onboard diesel engine (like a diese ...

'bi-mode' units (powered by AC overhead wires where available, and by underfloor diesel generators beyond the extents of electrification) and Class 801 electric multiple units sets powered purely by AC overhead wires. The train specification allows for the conversion of Class 800s to Class 801s, as it is assumed that

electrification Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic histo ...

will continue to expand. The units would form as part of the Hitachi AT300 product, joining the Class 395 in the same family. St Pancras railway station MMB 31 395018

St Pancras railway station MMB 31 395018

The choice of Hitachi units was controversial, as it would see little final manufacturing in the UK in comparison to the foreign-owned but domestically manufactured Bombardier option, leading to a campaign to reverse the decision. However, it was economics that became a sticking point, with the weight of the design creeping up (though some accused the

Department for Transport The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The ...

of producing impossible specification requirements) and reportedly difficult negotiations over the final unit price and production balance between the different power options. The inability or reluctance of the financial markets to provide the necessary capital was the final straw, leading to the announcement in February 2010 of a three-month independent review into the value for money of the programme. After winning the franchise,

Abellio ScotRail Abellio ScotRail, operating services under the name ScotRail, was the national train operating company of Scotland. A subsidiary of Abellio, it operated the ScotRail franchise from 1 April 2015, taking over from predecessor First ScotRail. ...

announced they would purchase Hitachi AT200 trains (designated as Class 385) for their commuter services. In March 2015, after the initial order of the Class 800 units,

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

(or First Great Western as it was at the time) ordered 29 bi-mode Class 802 units which would also join the AT300 product. These units have little difference over the Class 800 units, except that the 802s have a larger power output to cope with gradients in Devon and Cornwall, and are built with larger fuel tanks. Being a bi-mode unit, they will also use overhead electric power between

London Paddington Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a Central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services provided by the Great We ...

and Newbury stations. Having initially ordered 29 units, it was later announced that there would be an increase of up to 36 units on order. The first of the Class 800s entered service with GWR in October 2017 and the first of the Class 802s entered service with GWR in August 2018, with all of the units branded as ''Intercity Express Trains (IET)'' by GWR. Class 800 in testing 2015

The first unit with

London North Eastern Railway London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is a British train operating company. It is owned by the DfT OLR Holdings for the Department for Transport (DfT). The company's name echoes that of the London and North Eastern Railway, one of the Big Fou ...

(the current holder of the InterCity East Coast franchise) entered service in May 2019 after a delay, with their first trains in service being Class 800s. Their Class 801s entered service afterwards in September 2019. Separately from GWR, these trains are branded as ''Azuma,'' which is 'east' in Japanese. Many other UK operators have bid for members of the Hitachi AT300 product family, including orders for Class 802 units by

TransPennine Express TransPennine Express (TPE), legally First TransPennine Express Limited, is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that operates the TransPennine Express franchise. It runs regional and inter-city rail services between the major ci ...

(branded as ''Nova 1'') and

Hull Trains Hull Trains is an open-access railway operator in England owned by the multinational transport company FirstGroup. It operates long-distance passenger services between Hull / Beverley and London King's Cross. It has a track-access agreement u ...

(branded as ''Paragon'').

East Midlands Railway Abellio East Midlands Limited, trading as East Midlands Railway (EMR), is a train operating company in England, owned by Abellio, and is the current operator of the East Midlands franchise. History In March 2017, the Department for Transport ...

have ordered Class 810 units (branded as ''Aurora''), Lumo purchased Class 803 units and

Avanti West Coast Avanti West Coast is a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by FirstGroup (70%) and Trenitalia (30%) that operates the West Coast Partnership franchise. During November 2016, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced the Inter ...

have ordered Class 805 and Class 807 units.'

References

External links

* {{Hitachi Electric multiple units of Japan Hitachi rolling stock

Description

Japanese trains

A-train family overseas

United Kingdom

References

Further reading

External links