More than 50 years since the birth of the Shinkansen rail network in Japan, Hitachi Rail is developing the next generation of high speed rolling stock for the UK and Europe, which will be some of the fastest, most comfortable, quietest and sustainable trains ever built.
Using our rich heritage of research and development, technical expertise, plus unparalleled delivery experience, our solutions will get passengers to their destination in the fastest time possible and with the highest levels of comfort.
The ETR1000 is the flagship high speed train manufactured by the partnership of Hitachi Rail-Bombardier in Europe, involving company participation of 60% and 40% respectively, on behalf of the Italian State Railways (Trenitalia).
This train is designed to reach a top train speed of 400 km/h and it is suitable to operate on the European network (France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands and Belgium), overcoming infrastructure limitations, in particular the different power supplies and several types of signalling in operation across Europe.
The aerodynamic design and state-of-the-art solutions for energy saving, ensure unmatched operational efficiency, which have awarded the ETR1000 the record of the fastest train ever mass-produced in Europe - with the best acceleration, noise-reduction, less vibrations and low environmental impact.
The use of light alloys for the vehicle bodyshell and for the furniture, beyond providing an optimal mass/power ratio, will allow enhanced material recovery with reduced impact on the environment at the end of life for the vehicles. The train stems from a design oriented around sustainability: high performance with 85% of recyclable materials and 95% renewable materials.
The partnership (Hitachi Rail-Bombardier) signed the first contract for the design and production of the first 50 ETR1000 high speed trains in 2010. The first four vehicles entered into revenue service in April 2015. On June 2019, the partnership signed a new contract with Trenitalia for the supply of an additional 14 ETR1000 trains.
Each train has a total length of around 200 metres and capacity for around 460 passengers, who can benefit from many features enhancing their travel experience, including: high thermal and acoustic insulation, LED lighting, climate control, food service, suitable access for people with reduced mobility, on-board monitors, WiFi and sockets for PCs.
All ETR1000 high speed trains are designed and built in Italy, and the trains are in revenue service on the Italian high speed rail network with the commercial name of "Frecciarossa" meaning "Red Arrow".
The N700A Shinkansen, started operations between Tokyo and Osaka in Japan in 2013.
Developed by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tokai), the trains focus on passenger safety and comfort, and are equipped with constant speed control systems, vibration detection systems and new braking systems. The new innovative systems contribute to the overall safety of operations.
Similar to the previous N700 fleet, the new N700A trains offer a number of technical improvements over their predecessors, including LED lighting (which is around 20% more efficient than the lighting system in the N700), bogie vibration detection, enhanced ATC, and improved brake discs which reduce braking distances by up to 10%. Sound absorption panels, used in some of the N700 fleet, are now used throughout the N700A, which seats 1323 passengers.
The N700A adopts the tilting system introduced on the N700, which allows operation at up to 285km/h on the Tokaido Shinkansen and 300km/h on the Sanyo Shinkansen.
The trains also feature a new cruise control system, known as the fixed speed running device, which receives data on gradient and curvature from trackside transmitters installed along the Tokaido Shinkansen, allowing the train to automatically adjust power output according to the specific infrastructure of the route.
The first N700As entered service in February 2013, replacing series 700s on Tokyo – Osaka services, with energy consumption reduced by 19% on the N700A than on the series 700.
