E1000 series


The E1000, commonly known as the PP Tze-chiang, is a series of electric push-pull trains used by the Taiwan Railways Administration, operated as part of the Tze-chiang limited express service. The locomotives were built by Union Carriage & Wagon and GEC-Alsthom, while the passenger cars were built by Hyundai Precision & Industries.

History

The E1000 series was built to replace the EMU100 series. In 1994, the TRA came to an agreement with Hyundai Precision & Industries to build 64 locomotives and 400 passenger cars for $7.2 billion NTD. Hyundai manufactured the passenger cars, while the locomotives were built by Union Carriage & Wagon and GEC-Alsthom. The first arrived in April 1996 and passenger services commenced in September of the same year.
At the time of the units' arrival, trains were popular since they were first to use a streamlined design, contrasting with the boxy design of its predecessor. However, the TRA soon reported that the trains suffered from frequent malfunctions and insufficient power. The high maintenance expenses of the trains led the TRA to sue Hyundai in 2005 for $1.7 billion NTD in damages; however, the lawsuit never came to fruition, prompting Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Ling-san to allegedly ban Taiwanese transportation projects from purchasing from South Korean companies. The two reached an agreement of $300 million NTD in 2018.
Despite the technical issues, the E1000 series became a regular fixture within the Tze-chiang family, and with the electrification of railroads, the E1000 began gradually replacing the DMU Tze-chiang services. In a report from 2015, the TRA listed the E1000 series as one of the trains to be replaced in the near future as it approaches its 30-year lifespan.

Features

The E1000 series is configured in a push-pull arrangement, with a locomotive at each end of the train. Electricity is delivered via overhead lines, and each locomotive features four motors for a combined per locomotive. The trains are designed to run in 12-15 passenger car configurations. The bogies were supplied by Krauss-Maffei, while the braking system are supplied by Knorr-Bremse.

Dining cars and reconfiguration

Originally, the E1000 series featured 32 dining cars. When the TRA phased out on-board dining, the cars were briefly used as baggage cars. Currently, 11 of the dining cars are reconfigured as handicapped-accessible passenger cars, while 20 of the cars are reconfigured as "family cars', which feature a different seat layout, a children's play area, and breastfeeding rooms.