| Hideshi Ohba | Rolling Stock Systems Design Dept., Kasado Transportation Systems Product Div., |
| Chiaki Ueda | Transportation Systems Div., Power & Industrial Systems, |
| Kouji Agatsuma | Rolling Stock Engineering Dept., Transportation Systems Div., Power & Industrial Systems, |
The "A-train" structure of a train-carbody brings many advantages including a much quieter interior, improved rigidity, and better crashworthiness. In addition, the use of friction stir welding (FSW) to replace fusion welding produces less distortion, so a train-carbody fabricated from an "A-train" structure is sleeker than conventional bodies. The "A-train" structure is a modular concept that enables lead times to be reduced and makes refurbishment easier with better residual value. Moreover, it is superior in terms of recyclability because it is made of aluminum and is a "module-to-mounting" rail structure. The use of FSW to replace fusion welding technology is one of the recommendations of the Uff/Cullen Report on the Ladbroke Grove Inquiry, and this technology is attracting considerable attention all over the world.
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HITACHI EUROPE |
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The Hitachi Hyoron (Japanese Only) |
A-train, FSW, TWI, modular design, cullen report
