Hitachi Rail's $883m Monorail Project Crosses Panama Canal

A rendering of Hitachi's monorail for Line 3 of Panama Metro.

• Global Mobility Giants Hitachi Rail and Mitsubishi Corp. to Deliver Metro de Panama’s Line 3

• 25 km Elevated Line will Reduce Inner City Congestion and Tackle the Region’s Steep Mountainous Terrain

• Features Trains that Use Re-generative Power and 14 New Stations

Panama City, October 30, 2020 —– Hitachi, Ltd. (Hitachi), Hitachi Rail STS S.p.A. (Hitachi Rail) and Mitsubishi Corporation have signed an USD $883 million contract with HPH Consortium, the prime contractor for Panama Metro Line 3. Line 3 is a 25 km, elevated double-track monorail system, which will include 14 new stations and trains that use re-generative power. Hitachi and Hitachi Rail will provide 28 six-car vehicles (168 cars), the signaling systems, telecommunication systems, power systems, control center, platform screen doors and depot equipment for the monorail while Mitsubishi Corporation will manage the administration of the project.

When it opens in mid-2025, Line 3 of Panama Metro will transform the way people in Panama move, work and live. The monorail will move its passengers through the urban core and fast-growing west side of Panama City with ease before crossing the Panama Canal to tackle the route’s many hills and steep grade. With breathtaking panoramic views, this line is expected to serve hundreds of thousands of passengers per year. Approximately 800 local jobs are expected to be created during the development of Line 3.

“At Hitachi, innovative technology underpins our product range and transportation solutions. In order to provide efficient and cost-effective means of transportation for passengers and operators, we are very pleased to be a provider of cutting-edge railway systems,” said Jason White, Executive Officer for the Americas, Hitachi Rail Group. “With high-performance and energy-efficient vehicles, the new monorail will deliver a greener future with better mobility for all.”

As traffic congestion in big cities has become a universal problem, there is a growing demand for transportation systems with low environmental impact. Hitachi develops systems to help with urban-flow and energy efficiency, maximizing valuable natural resources, while minimizing operating costs to project stakeholders.

“In Panama, as in many urbanized areas of the world, heavy traffic congestion impacts economic activity, public health and quality of life,” said Enzo Carpanetti, Director of Sales & Project Management for Latin America, Hitachi, Ltd. Railway Systems Business Unit. “This line will reduce traffic and carbon dioxide emissions, and the trains themselves are designed of energy-efficient materials.”

Working alongside its global customers to find innovative and creative new ideas, Hitachi’s B-CHOP (Energy Storage for Traction Power Supply) system will be used to harness the train’s re-generative power, substantially reducing energy consumption throughout the railway system. When the train is in braking mode it can produce regenerative power, reducing CO2 emissions while providing power for future use that does not need to be drawn from a central power grid.