Hitachi A-train

The Hitachi A-train is a family of rail rolling stock built and designed by Hitachi 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.

JR Kyushu 885 series White Sonic EMU

Description

The "A-train" design concept includes several elements: the primary feature is the vehicle car bodies constructed from double skin aluminium extruded sections which are friction stir welded,[1] other features of the design are hollow extruded mounting rails on the vehicle body to which modular components are attached.[1]

Initially the A-train family consisted of multiple units designed and built by Hitachi, for use on the railway system in Japan. The A-train family comprises trains for both commuter services and limited express services. Hitachi has given the family a modular design which enables both production and refurbishment to be undertaken faster.[1] The A-train's strong body is the result of the use of revolutionary technology called friction stir welding (FSW).[2] Due to the low heat input of this patented process high strength, excellent crashworthiness 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:[3]

A-train family overseas
TEMU1000 at Hualien station, Taiwan, May 2008
The Sentosa Express monorail in Singapore uses A-Train derived monorail cars
KORAIL TEC Nurio EMU

For their products overseas, the Hitachi A-train has different designations by Hitachi depending on their type.[4][5]

  • AT100 = high-density urban trains
  • AT200 = suburban, commuter and regional trains.
  • AT300 = intercity high speed and long-distance train
  • AT400 = high-speed 'bullet' trains

Hitachi have been marketing the A-train family overseas. Both the Chongqing Monorail 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 (TRA) for six 8-car trains, based on the Japanese 885 series, designated as TEMU1000, for operation on the main line between Taipei and Hualien.[6] Deliveries of the trains began in late 2006, with the first public test of the new trains in March 2007.[7][8]

In 2007, Korail ordered eight 4-car express trains branded as the Trunk-Line Electric Car (TEC) to Hitachi. These car body, bogies, power systems made in Japan, but were to be assembled at SLS Heavy Industry in Changwon, Korea. and, a significant amount of the components have been replaced by a Korean part. The trains were for deployment on "Rapid Train" services on the Gyeongbu Line and Janghang Line between Seoul station and Sinchang Station, branded Nuriro and with a maximum speed of 150 km/h.

In 2019, the first few Hitachi A100 units arrived in Bangkok for testing on the SRT Red Lines, due to open in January 2021. These trains are coloured red, and are very remisniscent of a typical Japanese communet train. They are nicknamed "Red Mice" and will run as 4 to 6 car trains.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom became the first country to have a major conventional rail order for Hitachi outside Japan when Southeastern ordered 29 electric multiple units for use on domestic services on High Speed 1. These were designated as Class 395 units, which are standard gauge with the ability to operate at speeds of up to 225 km/h (140 mph).[1] Southeastern branded these trains as the Javelin, a reference to the 2012 Summer Olympics.[9]

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 United Kingdom Government's Intercity Express Programme tender to replace InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 sets on the Greater Western and InterCity East Coast franchises. These units were announced to be classified as Class 800 electro-diesel 'bi-mode' units powered by AC overhead wires where available and underfloor diesel generators beyond extents of electrication and the Class 801 electric multiple unit 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 will continue to expand.[10] The units would form as part of the Hitachi AT300 product, joining the Class 395 in the same family.

Class 395 at St Pancras in 2009

The choice of Hitachi units was controversial due to the fact that it would see little final manufacturing in the UK over the foreign-owned but domestically manufactured Bombardier option,[11] particularly in the area that would have manufactured,[12] leading to a campaign to reverse the decision. It was, however, economics which became a sticking point with the weight of the design creeping up (though some accused the Department for Transport 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.[13]

Class 800 during testing in 2015

After winning the franchise, Abellio ScotRail announced they would be purchasing Hitachi AT200 trains (designated as Class 385) for their commuter services.[14]

In March 2015, after the initial order of the Class 800 units, Great Western Railway (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, with the difference being the fact that the 802s have a larger power output to cope with gradients in Devon and Cornwall (enhanced diesel rating) and are also built with larger fuel tanks. Being a bi-mode unit, they will also use overhead electric power between London Paddington and Newbury.[15] 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 being branded as Intercity Express Trains (IET) by GWR.[16][17]

The first unit with London North Eastern Railway (the current holder of the InterCity East Coast franchise, having replaced the previous Virgin Trains East Coast company) entered service in May 2019 after a delay, with their first trains in service being their 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.[18]

Many other UK operators have also made a bid for more members of the Hitachi AT300 product family, which include that of TransPennine Express ordering Class 802s (branded as Nova 1) and Hull Trains also ordering Class 802s (branded as Paragon).[19][20] More AT300 units are also due to enter service with East Midlands Railway (classified as Class 810 units built, though originally thought to be Class 804 & Class 800 units) as well as future operator East Coast Trains (classified as Class 803 units). Avanti West Coast have also ordered AT300 units, which will be classified as Class 805 and Class 807.

Class Image Type Power Operator Brand No. built
/on order		 Cars per
set		 Unit nos. Year built
385/0 AT200 EMU Abellio ScotRail eXpress 46 3 385001-385046 2015-2019
385/1 24 4 385101-385124 2015-2019
395 AT300 [21] Southeastern Javelin 29 6 395001-395029 2007-2009
800/0 AT300 Bi-mode Great Western Railway Intercity Express Train (IET) 36 5 800001-800036 2014-2018
800/1 London North Eastern Railway Azuma 13 9 800101-800113 2014-2018
800/2 Azuma 10 5 800201-800210 2014-2018
800/3 Great Western Railway Intercity Express Train (IET) 21 9 800301-800321 2014-2018
801/1 EMU London North Eastern Railway Azuma 12 5 801101-801112 2017-2019
801/2 Azuma 30 9 801201-801230 2017-2019
802/0 Bi-mode Great Western Railway Intercity Express Train (IET) 22 5 802001-802022 2017-2019
802/1 Intercity Express Train (IET) 14 9 802101-802114 2017-2019
802/2 TransPennine Express Nova 1 19 5 802201-802219 2018-2019
802/3 Hull Trains Paragon 5 5 802301-802305 2019
803 EMU East Coast Trains None 5 5 803001-803005 2020-2021
810 Bi-mode East Midlands Railway TBA[22] 33 5 810001-810033 2020-2022
805 Avanti West Coast None 13 5 805001-805013 2020-2022
807 EMU 10 7 807001-807010 2020-2022

References
  1. Hitachi's Entry into the European Railway Market - Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 42 (pp.10–16)
  2. History, Principles and Advantages of FSW on Hitachi Transportation Systems Website Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "A-trains Delivery Records", www.hitachi-rail.com, archived from the original on 13 April 2009
  4. "Hitachi unveils modular EMU designs". Railway Gazette. 2014-07-22. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  5. "AT300 - Intercity High Speed | Hitachi Rail EU". www.hitachirail-eu.com. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  6. "Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) has ordered six tilting A-Train concept emus from Hitachi, Japan, at a cost of about 9 billion yen". International Railway Journal. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23.
  7. "Hitachi is Boosting up Railway System Business in Taiwan". Tilting Train Project. Hitachi. Archived from the original on 2009-07-26.
  8. "TRA conducts test ride of tilting trains". Taipei Times. 2007-03-21.
  9. "Javelin train speeds into London". 2008-12-12. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
  10. "Agility Trains Announced as Preferred Bidder for Intercity Express Programme". Hitachi.
  11. "Anger over new UK trains contract". BBC News. 2009-02-12. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  12. Jones, Alan; Woodman, Peter (2009-02-12). "Trains boost queried over Japan jobs". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  13. RAILNEWS. "Government backs away from IEP decision - Railnews - Today's news for Tomorrow's railway". www.railnews.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  14. "Class 385 for Scotland | Hitachi Rail EU". www.hitachirail-eu.com. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  15. "First Great Western plans AT300s to Cornwall", Railway Gazette, 23 March 2015, retrieved 2015-05-31
  16. "GWR unveils new fleet of IETs".
  17. Switchboard 0300 330 3000, Media enquiries 020 7944 3021 Out of hours media enquiries 020 7944 4292. "All aboard the new Intercity Express trains that will transform journeys across Britain". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
  18. "LNER". Brand Cooke. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
  19. Holden, Michael (2019-07-09). "Milestone for Transpennine Express with Nova 1 Trains". RailAdvent. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
  20. "Hull Trains Reveals Name of New Fleet | News | Hull Trains". www.hulltrains.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
  21. "AT300 - Intercity High Speed | Hitachi Rail EU". www.hitachirail-eu.com. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  22. https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/nameourtrain

Further reading
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