Taipei Metro C301

Taipei Metro C301

A Taipei Metro C301 train on the Tamsui Line.

Interior of the (unrefurbished) motor car of a C301 train
In service March 28, 1997present
Manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries and
Union Rail Car Partnership
Built at Yonkers, New York, USA
Constructed 19921994
Refurbishment 20112013
Number built 132 vehicles (22 sets)
Formation 3 x 2cars per trainset
Fleet numbers 001044
Capacity 1914 passengers
Operator(s) Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation
Depot(s) Beitou
Line(s) served Line 2
Specifications
Car length 23.5 m (77 ft)
Width 3.2 m (10 ft)
Height 3.6 m (12 ft)
Maximum speed Design: 90 km/h (56 mph)
Service: 80 km/h (50 mph)
Weight 39.5 t (DM1/M2)
34 t (T)
Traction system Original: GTO-VVVF
(Westinghouse Electric)
Trainsets 023/024 to 043/044
Refurbished: IGBT-VVVF
(Bombardier MITRAC 1000)
Trainsets 001/002 to 021/022
Electric system(s) 750 V DC Third rail
Safety system(s) ATC (ATO), ATS
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)

The Taipei Metro C301 type cars were the first electric multiple units to be used on the heavy-capacity lines of the Taipei Rapid Transit System.

History

The Tamsui Line began operations on 28 March 1997 with a total of 22 train sets built from 1992 to 1994 by the Union Rail Car (URC) Partnership, a Japanese-backed consortium in the United States, at a cost of $170 million USD.[1][2][3]

These cars were produced on the 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m2) Yonkers Plant, [4] the first elevator factory in the world[2] and was formerly owned by Otis Elevator Company. [5] The factory is now owned by Union Rail Car Partnership, which consists of Kawasaki Rail Car, Nissho Iwai Americanand North American Transit.[4] They were the first cars to be built at the plant for export (with over half of the C301's components made there) and the largest order manufactured in the United States for over twenty years, as part of the Buy American Act requirements.[4]

The original GTO-VVVF propulsion systems were supplied by Westinghouse and could produce up to 200 horsepower, but the propulsion systems in the first 11 trains were replaced by the Bombardier MITRAC IGBT-VVVF propulsion systems).

Interior Design

The interior of the C301 contains seats arranged in both linear and latitudinal formations. Providing for those requiring special accommodations, a quarter of the seats are designated as priority seats and wheelchair spaces are provided at the front and rear of the cars. In case of emergencies, fireproofing materials allow the train to withstand any fire for up to 45 minutes. Interior LED in-train information systems are located in the front of each car, and they display the train announcements and next station information. The destination and line colour are displayed on the exterior.

Serial Number

Each individual car is assigned a four-digit serial number, which ranges from x001 to x044, where x depends on the carriage type.

Refurbishment

From 2011 to 2012, the C301 trains underwent refurbishment and were fitted with new air-conditioning units, surveillance and fire detection systems. The original wood-style flooring was replaced with mostly white flooring. New LED in-train information systems were installed above the train doors, replacing the previously red LED in-train information systems. The first 11 C301 trains also received new IGBT-VVVF propulsion systems from Bombardier Transportation in 2013.

Train set 013/014 had been previously split and modified to serve as 3-car formations on the Xinbeitou Branch Line. When new C371 cars were built with specialist 3-car formations and were delivered to the Taipei Metro, train set 013/014 was subsequently re-joined and put back into normal service on Line 2. The sets that formerly served the Xinbeitou Branch Line are currently equipped with IGBT-VVVF inverters.

See also

References

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