Japanese Rolling Stock Builders

[bill937ca]

My understanding is that Kawasaki Heavy Industries may exit the rolling stock business because of heavy losses. It appears the rolling stock industry is a shrinking industry now that most major Tokyo rail projects are complete,  given shrinking ridership with a declining population and the Shinkansen network is approaching its peak.

 

Current builders are

Hitachi 

Kawasaki Heavy Industries

Nippon Sharyo

Kinki Sharyo

J-TREC (includes Tokyu Sharyo)

 

Toshiba Railway Systems produces support technology and components but I don't believe it has recently produced rolling stock.

 

Minor builders

Alano Sharyo -- trams

Niigata Sharyo --trams and rail buses

 

 

[miyakoji]

That one guy who covers everything leaving the KHI Hyogo Works seemed like he was posting videos all the time, but I don't think I actually subscribe to his channel.  I thought Toshiba was busy for sure at their Fuchu factory, but I had a look at the EH800 and was somewhat shocked to see the prototype -901 was delivered January 13, and -19 which is the last that is listed on English Wikipedia was delivered December 2016.  Maybe they aren't busy.  A lot of these manufactures export also, don't they?

[bill937ca]

Yes, they do export. Hitachi is active in the UK and has sold trains in Korea and Thailand. Hitachi's A-Train has been very successful in Japan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitachi_A-train

 

As of 2014 MLIT statistics list the Japanese railway market as 70% domestic with 45%of that  going to JR companies.

 

JR companies ownership stake in major builders

 

Japan Transport Engineering Company (JTREC)     East Japan Railways 100%

Nippon Sharyo, Ltd.                                                        Central Japan Railways (>50%)

The Kinki Sharyo Co.,Ltd.                                               Kintetsu Corp, Kintetsu Group, JR  West ( combined 50%

https://www.eubusinessinjapan.eu/sites/default/files/railway_market_in_japan.pdf

 

Edited June 7, 2020 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

Toshiba lists the EH500 and EH200 on its Electric Locomotives page.  https://www.toshiba.co.jp/infrastructure/en/railway/solution-product/locomotives/electric.htm

 

But unlike other countries designs are not exclusive to particular builders probably because the MLIT has a strong hand in creating the  designs. 

 

Toshiba Locomotives Wikipedia category:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Toshiba_locomotives

Edited June 7, 2020 by bill937ca

[trainsforever8]

In which source did it state that KHI is considering leaving the rolling stock business? I sure hope it's not true because that would be a big loss.

[bill937ca]

I've heard it from a couple of sources. Wikipeida sites this article.  https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Kawasaki-Heavy-weighs-exit-from-money-losing-train-business

[trainsforever8]

That's quite an old article though, I hope that by now they found a solution that won't lead them into closing their rolling-stock business.

[miyakoji]

Good news :).  Here's an April 2019 article entitled "Kawasaki has no plans to shutter rail car division": https://journalstar.com/business/local/kawasaki-has-no-plans-to-shutter-rail-car-division/article_c00e1cc6-ecf4-5996-b8bf-5a5244836fe4.html

 

That link came up searching for the prototype derailment mentioned in the Nikkei article.  Didn't find anything on that.  All the business problems cited in the Nikkei article are outside of Japan.  I wonder if it came to pass that they wouldn't keep Japanese production going.  That would let them continue to export when the opportunity presented itself.  I would also be interested to know details about the subpar US suppliers.

[trainsforever8]

3 hours ago, miyakoji said:

Good news :).  Here's an April 2019 article entitled "Kawasaki has no plans to shutter rail car division": https://journalstar.com/business/local/kawasaki-has-no-plans-to-shutter-rail-car-division/article_c00e1cc6-ecf4-5996-b8bf-5a5244836fe4.html

 

That link came up searching for the prototype derailment mentioned in the Nikkei article.  Didn't find anything on that.  All the business problems cited in the Nikkei article are outside of Japan.  I wonder if it came to pass that they wouldn't keep Japanese production going.  That would let them continue to export when the opportunity presented itself.  I would also be interested to know details about the subpar US suppliers.

Thank you for this! Besides, I wonder if merging with other Japanese suppliers wouldn't be more logical than shutting down the business?

[railsquid]

Hah, I looked up Kawasaki Heavy Industries earlier out of curiosity, and thanks to Creepy Internet Stalker Algorithms, somewhat later up popped this advert in Facebook mentioning railway vehicles as the second item:

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2020 by railsquid

[cteno4]

Cookie Monster is after you!

 

jeff

[bikkuri bahn]

Quote

 I wonder if it came to pass that they wouldn't keep Japanese production going.  That would let them continue to export when the opportunity presented itself.  I would also be interested to know details about the subpar US suppliers.

I reckon they need to keep the US factory going to satisfy "buy American" regulations.  Kawasaki is over exposed in the N. American market which is highly subject to politics and short term thinking, which is anathema to capital intensive businesses like rolling stock building as well as infrastructure development in general.  I think 30% of KHI's total rolling stock business is tied up in N. America, which is doubtless the greatest among the builders in Japan.  They will keep their existing contracts centered in the NE Corridor, but I think they will focus more on getting new contracts in developing economies in Asia, where they can deliver straight from their Kobe plant and keep tight quality control and project management.

Example:

https://www.railwaygazette.com/metros/dhaka-metro-construction-continues/56540.article

 

J-Trec is focusing on Asia:

https://www.railjournal.com/in_depth/j-trec-expansion-europe-japan-trade-deal

[HankyuDentetsu]

Not massively relevant but Hitachi is doing very well here in the UK right now - I take a Hitachi class 385 to work every day (well, not right now I guess...), my last trip to London was on a Hitachi class 800. Most new long distance rolling stock UK-wide are varients on the 800 too. 

 

With many of the major rolling stock projects in Japan coming to completion surely the only way is international for most of these companies? I see both Jakarta and Bangkok metros are being supplied by Japanese firms, as is Washington DC's new stock. They are clearly able to be competitive globally, although the scale of infrastructure investment required - Hitachi in the UK as an example - may put some off this type of expansion? 

[Socimi]

3 minutes ago, HankyuDentetsu said:

Not massively relevant but Hitachi is doing very well here in the UK right now - I take a Hitachi class 385 to work every day (well, not right now I guess...), my last trip to London was on a Hitachi class 800. Most new long distance rolling stock UK-wide are varients on the 800 too. 

 

With many of the major rolling stock projects in Japan coming to completion surely the only way is international for most of these companies? I see both Jakarta and Bangkok metros are being supplied by Japanese firms, as is Washington DC's new stock. They are clearly able to be competitive globally, although the scale of infrastructure investment required - Hitachi in the UK as an example - may put some off this type of expansion? 

 

Jakarta and Bangkok are exceptions - those two projects were funded primarily by the JICA, the Japanese goverment's agency for support and assistance to developing countries, therefore most (if not all) of the "Subway package" (rolling stock, tracks, tunneling, signalling etc.) was provided directly by Japanese manufacturers.

 

Besides Hitachi, Japanese manufacturers have little to no market in europe, due to the competition of Alstom, Siemens, CAF and Stadler.

Actually, you could even count out Hitachi Rail Italy, as besides the name and ownership nothing has changed (includng the crappy rolling stock designing). It's effectively AnsaldoBreda in disguise.

Furthemore, most of outside-the-UK Hitachi projects (such as the Honolulu Metro) are actually rebranded AnsaldoBreda ones. "Proper" Hitachi only operates on the UK market.

 

As far as i know, the last Non-Hitachi, Japanese-manufactured trains made for europe are the Irish 8500 Class EMUs for Dublin DART services.

They were manufactured by Tokyu Car Co. between 2001 and 2004 (before it became J-TREC) and they were closely based on the JR East E231-0 Series, wich was being manufactured at the same time.
 

[miyakoji]

4 hours ago, Socimi said:

Hitachi Rail Italy, as besides the name and ownership nothing has changed (includng the crappy rolling stock designing). It's effectively AnsaldoBreda in disguise.

 

How long has Hitachi owned that? Do you hear anything about them being more integrated into Hitachi?  Ansaldo bought Union Switch and Signal (wikipedia says in 1988), so I guess Hitachi owns that.  Might be an interesting place to work 🙂

[Socimi]

1 hour ago, miyakoji said:

 

How long has Hitachi owned that? Do you hear anything about them being more integrated into Hitachi?  Ansaldo bought Union Switch and Signal (wikipedia says in 1988), so I guess Hitachi owns that.  Might be an interesting place to work 🙂

 

They acquired AnsaldoBreda in 2015.

 

As said before, besides the name, there's little "Hitachi" in Hitachi Rail Italy. For instance, the managment has remained practically unchanged.

Edited June 14, 2020 by Socimi