MHI Receives Order for 48 Carriages for Yurikamome Automated Guideway Transit System in Tokyo

Since fiscal 2013 MHI has supplied a total of 108 carriages (18 trains) in the "7300 Series" to Yurikamome as replacements for earlier models. The receipt of the latest order will mean that, in future, all carriages on the Yurikamome Line will have been manufactured by MHI.

The "7300 Series" carriages incorporate MHI's proprietary all-aluminum-alloy, double-skin structure known as "Al-Fine," which enables overall lighter construction and increased passenger capacity. Cars in the series adopt MHI's specially designed "G-Fit" semi-high-back bucket type seats. These provide outstanding body support while naturally inducing seated passengers to keep their legs tucked in close and avoid extending into the aisle space. The "7300 Series" cars also adopt MHI's innovative "T-smover" bogies; these add to riding comfort while simultaneously offering advantages such as light weight, outstanding durability, low noise and vibration, and easy maintenance. Based on these unique features, MHI will proceed with the manufacture of AGT carriages that befit the international metropolis of Tokyo.

The Yurikamome Line is a public transport system inaugurated in November 1995. Spanning a total distance of 14.7 kilometers, the line consists of 16 stations linking central Tokyo with the city's waterfront area. Situated along the line are the Shiodome business district, the Odaiba and Ariake waterfront zones, and a raft of sightseeing spots, convention halls and other facilities that attract large numbers of visitors. As a result, the Yurikamome Line averages some 124,000 users per day (data for 2015).

Automated people movers (APMs) are devised to make effective use of space above roadways. Since 1981 APMs have been introduced in numerous Japanese cities. Their use of rubber tires means minimal noise and vibration, making them environmentally harmonious with their surroundings. MHI's AGT systems, as part of its APM offering, provide outstanding economy, environmental performance and design.

MHI's AGT carriage lineup currently includes several models: the "7300 Series," featured on the Yurikamome Line, which won a "Good Design Award" in 2014 for enhancing the image of public transport; the "330 Series," adopted on the Nippori-Toneri Liner in Tokyo since October 2015; and the "2020 Series," in use since November 2015 on the "New Shuttle" in Saitama Prefecture.

Buoyed by the latest order from Yurikamome Inc., MHI will continue to promote its AGT systems both in Japan and abroad.