Taiwan High‑Speed Rail to Deploy New N700ST Trains and Boost Service Frequency

The first of twelve Hitachi‑Toshiba N700ST high‑speed train sets has left Japan’s Kasado factory for Taiwan, marking the start of a fleet renewal that will see the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSRC) operating 46 trainsets by 2028. Each 12‑car set can run at up to 300 km/h, uses silicon‑carbide power electronics and Toshiba’s SCiB lithium‑ion batteries that keep the train moving during power outages.

THSRC plans to introduce a new timetable that will increase peak‑hour departures from seven to ten trains per hour, creating roughly ten‑minute intervals and adding “super‑direct” services that skip intermediate stations. The expanded fleet will raise overall capacity by about 25 % and alleviate congestion on the north‑bound corridor. Officials including THSRC chairman Shi Zhe, Transportation Minister Chen Shih‑k‑ai and Taiwan’s representative in Japan Li Yiyang attended the launch ceremony.

The rollout is scheduled in phases, with the first N700ST units expected in service early next year and the full complement operational by September 2028.